Nights of Fire:Dark Scourge
by Yunalia
Summary: Sell and the group are back to battle the night time evil that the Dark Lord ere's been a turn of events though that might make the whole gang come to a complete ll has lost her memory!
1. Chapter 1 The Night Circle

Nights of Fire: Black Scourge

Ch.1 The Night Circle

The Lord that lived at the base of the mountain walked into the town that Lord Rien and his daughter Lady Sell lived. The young girl followed after him from the mountain pass and clung to his hand for protection. They walked through the town and headed towards the back part of the outer town where the farms were located. The little girl stared at all the cows and sheep that grazed in pens full of lush grass, watched farmers ride their horses as they went up and down the fence line looking for bad wood, watched farmers plant crops and take in their harvests. She had never seen such big farms before nor had she seen how much a horse helped the Minecraftian's.

"This is amazing!" she cried out in happiness. "I've never seen so many animals in one place before!"

The Lord chuckled. "I take it you've never left the mountain pass?"

The girl shook her head. "Never. I've always wanted to go explore though! I hear all these stories of battles with the things that come out at night and how they find jewels and riches in caves and dungeons!"

"It's great fun to be an adventurer," the Lord smiled as they began to come upon Lord rien's farm. "We're here."

The girl looked about watching the cows graze and moo at them. Some horses were in their own field taking it easy, sheep and pigs were scattered about in their own pens resting or eating. It didn't matter. All the animals were happy. Her face beamed with excitement. "He's a farmer! Does he have a dog?"

The Lord shook his head. "He hates dogs. Never could train them very well."

He pushed open the gate letting the little girl go in first before following behind and shutting the gate behind. The front door opened and Lord Rien's wife greeted them. "Ah! Welcome! You must be one of Rien's friends?"

The Lord nodded. "Yes ma'am. Is he home by chance?"

She shook her head with a frown. "He left with our children, Lones and his son to go someplace. To see another friend that moved out into the desert. I don't know when they'll be back."

"The desert?" the Lord repeated. "You mean the desert that's just Northwest of here?"

She nodded. "Yes. Why?"

When he was about to reply a strong feeling hit him. There was an urgent cry for help to all Lord's. He gasped touching his chest as it sent chills through him. "I have to go. Will you watch her for just a moment? I have to quickly run an errand. She needs to see your husband about something!" The Lord turned sprinting away, leaping the gate without opening it. "I'll be back! Stay there!"

The girl and Rien's wife watched him sprint away. The girl looked to the woman and smiled. "There was a urgency for him. Something happened."

Rien's wife ushered her inside and made small talk with her, fixing her a sandwhich and getting to know her. They exchanged names and began to become friends as girls often did with one another.

"Where did you come from?" Aumi asked her with a smile.

"The mountains near the pass." The small girl replied drinking the warm milk. "It's cold up there."

"I bet it is. We get your snow every winter." Aumi sipped her tea and looked over the rim of her cup. "Your snow is harsh on my flowers. Did you know that?"

The little girl nodded. "It's harsh on ours too. It's why we transplant them into the green house."

Aumi stopped and set down her cup. "I think I'll get my kids and husband to make me one of those. They are good all year round, right?"

The girl nodded. "All year."

The gate outside could be heard opening; a bunch of running was also heard. Aumi stood going to the door. Fists banged on the door urgently. "Ma'am!"

She opened the door to see the same man from before. "Oh, you're back!"

"Your daughter, husband and your husband's friend has been badly injured. You need to come to the hospital right away!" he said breathlessly.

She stood there as a hand went to her mouth. "What…?"

Before she knew it she was standing in the emergency room leaning over a counter at a curly haired nurse. "I need to know where Sell, Lones, and Rien are."

The woman glanced at her before flipping through sheets of paper. "Down the hall, take a right then take a left. Go all the way down and they are on each side."

The child grasped the Lord's hand as they sprinted off through the hospital to stand before the three rooms. The door opened to one and Toc stepped out wiping away tears. He looked up to see his mother standing there worried. They embraced tightly; Toc murmured to his mother that it was going to be ok.

"What happened?" Aumi asked stepping away from him.

"We got into a huge fight. Well not me and Des but Sell, dad and Lones defended us. They saved us. Me, Des, and Skelar. Sell… You should've seen her mom! She took on this guy singlehandedly in the Nether!"

Aumi blinked at him not understanding anything he was saying. "What are you talking about? Who attacked you? The Nether?"

The Lord gave a frown at Toc but Toc ignored it. He stopped then and covered his mouth. "I've said too much. You weren't supposed to know."

"I better damn know since it's my daughter and my husband that lay in the hospital injured!" she snapped making him flinch. "Tell me right now!"

The Lord placed a hand on her shoulder and walked her outside to the waiting room. "I'll explain."

Toc stood there watching the Lord sit down with his mother and talk things over with her. He left them alone and went back into his dad's room to watch over him. Des had taken Sell's room to make sure she was alright. She had sustained more injuries than their father and Lones combined. It would be some time before she was going to be up and about.

The little girl stepped into Sell's room quietly. Des looked over at her and smiled. "Hello. May I help you?"

"I'm looking for her. I was told to come and tell her about Sister Spirit and the bad guy that took her and our sisters away."

Des turned his whole body towards her. "Six women? I think I know who you're talking about. One had fiery red hair, a blonde, brunette, orange, tan, grey, and silver?"

The girl nodded excitedly. "You saw them?"

He placed a finger to his lips to calm her and nodded. "Sell is too injured to talk right now. You'll have to wait. Once she comes around I'll tell her. Who are you anyways?"

"I'm Los." Her eyes lit up brightly when she spoke her name.

Des smiled holding out his hand. "Des."

She took his hand and shook it gently. "Nice to meet you. I met your brother, Toc."

"Yeah, he's taking care of my dad." Des said looking depressed. "We were beaten pretty badly by Hatos."

Los looked past him towards Sell. She stepped around him going closer to her. She moved a strand of hair from her face, her eyes looking at all the bandages covering her body. "Who is this Hatos?"

"A man that locked me and Skelar away to be used but never got around to doing it. Sell, dad, and Lones came to save us."

Los turned to him. Her eyes in question. "Hatos uses people? He used my sisters?"

"He is." Spoke a voice quietly.

Los turned towards the corner that was shadowed to see a man leaning there, his eyes closed. "I didn't see you there. Gave me a startle."

Hel opened his eyes staring only at Sell. "I do that. So, your sisters have been taken by the Dark Lord and you are here seeking Lady Sell's help but she's unable to help at the moment. What's your next course of action?"

"Wait." Los said with a small smile. "I don't mind. Sell is the one I've come for and I shall get. I can't let my sisters down."

Hel stared at the little girl, looking her over carefully. She carried herself with purpose, determined to get her job done and her sisters saved. He could tell she wasn't going to leave even if they wanted her gone. He looked to Des who sat in his chair frowning. He sighed tilting his head up to the ceiling tiredly.

He had been given a fractured skull, three fractured ribs or something like that, a fractured arm, fractured leg, and one missing k-9 that would be growing back in time. He was told he had come out of this fight lucky but he wished he had taken more damage instead of Sell. He was beating himself up for not finishing off the brothers faster and being there to aid Sell but he didn't think Hatos had gotten more help or had created all of those creatures with the help of those Dark Orbs. He hadn't realized how unprepared they all were.

No one had expected Hatos to get away scott free and be in the Minecraft world. His hands clenched his upper arms. Pain shot through his left arm making him flinch and relax it. "Damn it. Fuck Hatos!"

Des looked back at Hel as he passed by and went outside the room to disappear from view. Los sat at the edge of Sell's bed watching her breath. "I'm sorry I've come at such a bad time for you, Lady Sell. I've come with a plea for help. My sisters need your help in being rescued from this Hatos, whom you battled with."

Des and Los watched the woman's chest go up and down taking in new breath, her body striving to live. Los took Sell's hand and squeezed it. "You must save them. It's up to you, Lady Sell!"

Des stepped from the room with Los as the door shut behind them. "I think it's best if you went home with my mom."

He stepped past her to open the door of his father's room. Aumi sat in a chair next to her husbands bed sniffling. "I take it you're staying the night?"

Aumi nodded to her son with teary eyes. "I have too. I can't leave him in this shape, Des."

Des nodded. "Where's Toc? It's time he relieved himself from here and went home." Des turned at the soft steps that approached from in the hall. His brother stood there. "Toc, I want you to take Los back home. Make sure the house is good. Feed the animals."

Toc nodded. "Come, Los."

Los took his hand. "It'll be ok. Lady Sell will survive this. As will Lord Rien."

"Lord Rien," Aumi whispered as fresh tears spilled down her face. "How could you take up such a job and not tell me? How? And including our daughter?" She cried putting her head in her hands. "Rien…! My only daughter! Why?"

Toc and Des watched their mother cry over what she had been told by the Lord. Los let go of Toc's hand and entered the room. She handed a bottle to the woman. "Take this. It'll help you."

Aumi looked at her and the bottle. She took the bottle wondering what it was. Los smiled. "Drink a sip and nothing more. If you drink more than just a sip you might not wake up for quite some time."

Aumi gawked at this, her body began shaking. Los grasped her hands to wrap around the bottle. Aumi began crying, fear within her that wouldn't let go. "Rien…Rien…!"

Los smiled knowing something about Aumi that others didn't. "Do as I say, Sell's mother. It'll help you rest and have a clear head tomorrow."

Toc and Des looked at one another wondering about Los before she turned around and left Aumi. She looked up at Toc, taking his hand and guiding him away. "Come on, brother. Let's let sister Sell rest."

"Brother?" muttered Toc looking behind him at his brother who looked slightly amused at the little girl. "You're going to help me right? Des? Right?"

Des only waved at him from the doorway chuckling. "Take care. Hold down the fort."

"Des!" Toc called out as he was pulled around the corner and out of sight.

Des mused himself before turning back and heading to his sisters room_. 'Los is quiet a strange girl but for some reason I think she knows all that's going on without us telling her much.'_ He looked out the window at the distant wall of the town. _'It creeps me out to say that she isn't normal but then again dad and Sell aren't either.'_

Toc walked down the gravel road with Los next to him. They had been walking in silence for the longest time. He stared ahead into the distance, hands in his pockets. His mind raced on questions that dealt with his dad and Sell. _'Are you going to be ok, Sell? Will you smile to us when you wake up? Say, Sell, what will be your first words when you see us?'_

"Are Lord Rien and Lady Sell the only ones that live here?"

Toc looked down at her with a confused look at her question. "Oh! Yes. Other Lord's live nearby in other towns and cities. They travel here from time to time to hold meetings. Lord Rien and Lady Sell are the two main speakers though."

Los looked out at the farm that Lord Rien owned. "Can't anyone else lead them?"

Toc shrugged. "I don't know. I never thought that this sort of thing would fall upon them."

"Can't you?" she asked turning up to him.

He shook his head. "No. I'm not a Skeletal Lord nor am I part of the race. It's only for blood members."

"Why?"

"That sounds so stupid, you know that?"

"But it's all so strange to me to have this big of an organization and there's only two people in the organization that can speak."

Toc stared at the sky, watching the clouds pass over them. "That's true. I've never thought about that before. Then again, I've never thought about the organization to begin with."

He felt pain in his side as he was struck. "Ah! Ow!"

Los huffed at him. "Think more! Sell and your dad are lying on a bed badly injured!"

Toc frowned at her as he dropped to a knee. "The organization isn't that simple if they only have two people as spokes people. You think about it."

He rose and pushed open the fence gate before going inside the house. Los followed after him thinking over the organization's situation. What if Hatos were to attack and use more people? What if she was taken and used? Sell wouldn't be able to save her nor anyone else that needs it.

Lord Rien wouldn't be able to either. Who then would step up? The door was left open for her. She looked around at the kitchen just as they had left it just a while ago. As Toc fixed them some food she went upstairs to look around.

Opening the first door on her left she noticed a small room that someone slept in. There were picture frames around the room of the family and of others. She picked one frame up that appealed to her, basked in the setting sun's light. She saw Sell and the man from before that had spoken very little before leaving the room. What was he to her?

She set the picture back on the table and looked at the others. It was Sell and her family at different gatherings or outside playing. They all looked so happy and content. These didn't have the man like the picture on the table had. There were solely Sell and her family.

_'I guess he came later_.' She thought looking out the window next to the table. It looked out at the wall and beyond a distant field with a few sheep wandering about. '_Her boyfriend?'_ She looked at the picture studying it. '_No. He'd have a more loving look in his eyes. They're just friends. He seems to protect her though. The way he holds his arm about her shoulders in this picture is of a protective friendly measure.'_

Footsteps from Toc made her turn around and see him holding a plate of sandwiches. "Hungry?"

The two sat at the table eating. Los looked up at him as she swallowed a bite. "Who's the boy in this picture with Sell?"

"Hel," Toc replied over his bite. "He protects Sell and quite well."

"A bodyguard?" Los asked looking at the boy in the picture. "Is he blood to the organization?"

Toc shook his head putting his sandwich down. "He's a werewolf that's been genetically altered by my dad. He and Sell have been good friends for years. Dad left him at the mansion though, to protect it and defend it from robbers. Sell found him once again and brought him with her back home." Toc scratched the stubble at his chin with a look that seemed lost as he thought back to the younger days. "Hel… Loves Sell and won't ever leave her side if he can help it. That's how attached they are."

"So they really are lovers then?"

Los's question made Toc look at her funny. "Huh? Hel and Sell? No! It's against a Minecraftian code! Plus werewolves aren't known to be so tame.

"I keep expecting Hel to break free of his collar but he never removes it. Not once has he ever raised a hand against us. I don't understand it."

Los thought back to when Hel made himself known in the hospital room. How he had gotten furious over her injuries and had walked out to be alone. She took a bite out of her sandwich lost in thought.

As night fell upon the town, dark figures moved in silence and disappeared into a building. An iron door shut and all cloak hood were pushed back. The Lord's had all gathered together to hold a meeting about Lones, Rien and Lady Sell's conditions. An eastern Lord took the podium. His sand colored swept back hair glowed beneath the light above.

"Gentlemen! We gather here tonight to talk over our two Lord's and our Lady's progress in the hospital. Lady Sell has not woken from her unconscious state and neither has Lord Rien. Lord Lones has woken one time but not anymore, he's fallen into a coma."

Murmurs of surprise and worry went through the Lord's throughout the room. There were new faces among the Lord's seeing as how the news of the great battle between Sell and the Lord of the Darkness had traveled far. Distant Lord's from farther out were there tonight to hear more of the things that were going on.

"We must guard these lands vigilantly. Keep aware of all the evil that comes out at night and we must not bite off more than we can chew!" the eastern Lord ordered.

"What is to become of this town since the protectors are injured?"

"Should some stay and guard?"

"What if the Lord of the Darkness comes here to finish them?"

"Lady Sell is down! She'll be doomed!"

"Lord Rien and Lord Lones too!"

"Skelar can protect his father! He's fought alongside our Lady when adventuring!"

The Lord's protested against these thoughts among one another going back and forth.

"Lord Rien will regain consciousness soon! We have to pray!"

"Notch won't hear us out! We've asked him to end the war but has he made it stop? No! What good is praying?"

A figure leapt onto the stage and turned to stare at them all. His blue eyes piercing the dimly lit room. "You call yourself Lord's when you sit here fearing the Lord of the Darkness while Lady Sell, down for time being, wouldn't even worry about it."

The Lord's stared up at him in silence. He took the podium from the Lord and gazed at them all. The new faces stared at him in question while others reflected.

"It doesn't matter if Lady Sell is down, if Lord Lones is in a coma, or if Lord Rien hasn't woken yet. What does matter is that your job as Lord is to defend the weak from the evil, keep those that cry out for help saved, and to bring the ones that have fallen to Lady Ananon!"

The Lord's all nodded in agreement. The gentleman straightened his black coat before standing there looking at everyone with his deep blue eyes. The eyes that seemed like a vast ocean that could be calm one moment and turn violent in a split second.

"I stand here before you Lord's to say this. Do not give up hope just because our strength is down! It will return like a hurricane and be tall and powerful as a tornado once more! The hand of Lady Ananon, the one that seeks justice for all, will rise up and end the evil that threatens Minecraftian's worldwide! Do not give up on our two Lord's that have sacrificed their lives to protect you all! How would they act if they were told that you all tucked your tails and hid like pussies?"

The lord's stood with anger at this towards him. "That's enough! We won't tuck our tails at the sight of evil! We will stand and fight like our Lady Sell! Like Lady Ananon!"

"We will protect those that need us!"

"We will be what we have always been! Skeletal Lord's that protect the innocent of this world!"

The eastern Lord turned to the gentleman that had taken the podium. He smirked crossing his arms. "Nice job, riling them up once again, Hel. I couldn't have said it better myself."

Hel smiled to the Lord with a nod of his head. "Sell will make a recovery. I swear on it with my life!"

Hel stepped from the podium to stride out of the room quietly into the night. He needed to take up his position on the wall for the night. He was going to be a minute or two late because of the meeting. He didn't mind. Nothing was going on around the city anyways. All was quiet and would be for a while to come he hoped.


	2. Chapter 2 Memory Loss

Ch.2 Memory Loss

Toc stood at the gate of the farm, the house behind him. The clouds above were puffy and white. So blindingly white they were, he felt he needed some shades to just look up at them.

"Toc! Come on! Your girlfriend is waiting!" called a boy from down the street he hung out with sometimes when he went to the pub to drink.

Toc laughed at the prankster, waving after him. His hand unlocked the gate and left. They were going to go meet up with the others at the corner ahead. His friend looked back at him with a smile as big as his heart was at times.

"Stop being so slow! Come on!"

He found himself jogging after them under the high sun. His friends all looked back at him laughing as they ran towards the pub in a big group, hogging the entire pathway. They didn't care though. They were all having fun. He smiled at them, giving them his biggest smile.

He closed his eyes, letting himself go. Reopening them he found himself in the bar sitting at a big round table with all his friends singing as loud as possible holding up huge glass mugs filled with beer or ale of some sort. They were singing In Search of Diamonds with their mugs raised in the air. We were all drunk. People around us began to pound their glasses on the table shouting out my name.

The pounding began to send my head into aches. I growled grasping my head as they chanted my name one at a time.

"Toc!"

"Toc!"

"Toc!"

He sprang up in a rage to shut them up. His eyes flew open to glare at the side door of the kitchen. "What? Shut up! Stop calling my name! Shut up!"

A bottle broke at my feet. When he leapt up he must've disturbed it enough to make it roll off the table. The door burst open with a man standing there panting. His hair fell into his eyes as he stared at him. "She's awake! Lady Sell is awake!"

"What?" He exclaimed breathless. "Los! Los come down!"

"If you're wondering about the girl from the other day she's already at the hospital." The man replied sprinting from the house.

He ran after him in a hurry, surprised by what he had said. "Already there?"

They burst into the room panting. Los stood at the end of the bed surprised by their entrance. Hel sat at the edge of my bed grasping my hand. I was sitting up looking dazed as I looked at them. I looked at both of them then to Hel and lastly at Los.

"What's going on?"

They all stared at me with a smile. "You're awake! This is a wonderful day! How do you feel?"

I blinked with dazed eyes. A look of confusion passed over my face as I looked at my bandaged body. "What happened to me?"

Hel narrowed his eyes. "You don't remember?"

I shook my head. "Who are you? Who are all of you? Also, who am I?"

The room went into a state of shocked silence. Los was also at a loss for words. His mouth hung open as he fell to his knees and slowly shook his head. "What happened to your memory? What's happened to you?"

The doctor strode in, just alerted on the status of me. "She's awake! Good!"

"She doesn't remember anything, doc." Toc whispered. "Why doesn't she remember?"

The doctor walked over to me. He looked into my eyes for a moment. I watched his face tighten and his mouth formed a line. "Her mind has been injured. It's in a state of shock. I'm not sure when or if she'll get her memory back. She's been through a lot."

Hel hung his head over his lap. His hand stroking my hand. "I won't leave your side. I swear to that. I'll help you get your memory back. Not just for us but for those that need your help. Your name is Sell, you have a mother called Aumi, two older brothers called Toc and Des, and a father called Rien."

I nodded my head slowly trying to take all of this in but my head was pounding so great that I had trouble just thinking. I grasped my head wincing. "My head hurts so badly…!"

The doctor stepped away back to the door. "I'll get medicine for that. Just relax and rest."

We watched him leave. The room was in total silence. Not a single person spoke to anyone about anything. The Lord next to Toc stifled a sob. He rose turning his back on us. "Excuse me…I'll be back."

Toc watched him leave the room and knew that he had been in desperate need of having Lady Sell back to herself. He looked back at me with a frown. I cocked my head to the man who sat at the edge of my bed stroking my hand gently. "Who are you?"

Hel smiled to me placing his other hand on mine. "I'm Hel. A good friend of yours. We go back a long ways. Back to when we were kids."

I blinked and stared at him, looking him over. A memory came to me and I smiled. "Ah! I know you! Hel! We've grown up so big now!" I hugged him about the neck tightly and pulled away. "When can we play tag again?"

His mouth opened but nothing came out. He smiled and said nothing. I didn't understand. I watched as tears came from his eyes and ran down his cheeks. "Why are you crying? Are you ok? Do you not like tag anymore?"

He shook his head wiping his eyes with his arm. "I'm sorry. I'll be ok. I do like tag but, Sell, we're adults now. We don't play games like that anymore."

I frowned at him seeing my mistake. "Oh. I'm sorry." I hung my head feeling like an idiot. "We had fun though, right?"

Hel nodded to me. "Your mother will be happy to know you're up. You want me to go get her?"

I nodded. "Where's mom?" I remembered my mom's smiling face as we played together in a field of flowers close to home. "Has she come to visit me often?"

"She's not left your side." Toc replied as he got to his feet. "I'll get her. You watch her, Hel."

Hel nodded to him as he left and turned back to me. "Everyone was so worried about you. We thought you wouldn't make it through the night."

I wondered what they were talking about. "What happened to me?"

Everyone went silent. All heads turned to one another wondering how they would lie about the actual thing. Hel cleared his through looking at the bed sheets. "You were coming home one night. It was midnight. Some of the lamps in the street were out so it was pretty dark around the pathway. Creepers and Skeletons spawned and attacked your dad who was coming home with groceries."

I gasped grasping Hel's hands. "Is he ok?"

Hel nodded. "Yes! He's going to be ok but he's in the room across from yours from injuries. The Creeper exploded and injured your dad. You were just coming back from the market. You heard the screams of help and you ran to them to find your dad there.

"You had bought a iron sword for one of your brothers and used it against the skeleton. You defeated it but you also got injured from a second Creeper that you didn't know about. It snuck up behind you. You didn't get out of the way in time and the blast got you. I was on the wall on duty and saw the explosions.

"I left my post to check it out and found you and your dad bleeding on the pathway. I took you to the hospital and here we all are." Hel gestured around the room at them.

Los looked to the Lord raising a brow. He looked to her and then to Hel. This wasn't a very convincing story. I stared at them in shock. "So, a Creeper injured me and another got my dad?"

Everyone nodded at me. I sat back against the pillow in a haze. My mind pounded at all the facts. I couldn't believe that I had been harmed by a simple Creeper. I also couldn't believe dad didn't have a weapon on him at the time.

He never left the house without something on him! I looked out the window and stared out at the wall. "You must have good sight, Hel."

"I do. I've been told I got a hawk's eyesight I can see so far away." He chuckled rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Thank you for rescuing me and dad." I smiled at him warmly seeing him blush slightly and smile back. "I'd probably be dead by now if it weren't for you."

"I-It's quite alright." He replied hesitantly. "I'm going to go check on your dad. I'll be right back."

I watched him get up and leave me with two other people that I didn't know. It was silent in an awkward way. "Who are you two?"

The Lord jumped slightly and looked to Los. Los smiled stepping forward. "I'm your cousin. This is my dad."

"Ah! Uncle Vash! How are you? I haven't seen you in such a long time!" I exclaimed raising my arms up to invite him for a hug but pain shot through them and my entire body making me fall back against the pillow, pain on my face.

"Sell!" they exclaimed going over to either side of me. I smiled at them.

"It'll be ok. I'm just moving a tad bit too soon."

The door opened and Aumi walked in. She smiled with tears running down her face as she went over to me and held me. "Oh, Sell! You're awake! Thank Notch!"

I looked at the ceiling as she cried on me wondering why she was crying so much. I remembered what Hel had said to me. "I'll be ok, mom. The Creeper only gave me a few good bruises and some fractures. I'll be healed in no time!"

My mother stared at me for a moment, her smile coming on a bit slowly. "You've gone back to the past. It's ok, honey."

I looked at her funny. "What past?"

I watched as my cousin and her father grasped my mother's shoulders shaking their heads for some reason. What was going on? My mother burst into tears again hiding her face in her hands. "I can't believe this has happened!"

I reached out slowly and rested my hand on her head. "It'll be ok. I and dad will recover from those Creepers before you know it. Stop crying, mom."

She cried harder from this and it didn't make sense why. I was in such confusion from everything. Why was she still crying? It wasn't like her to keep on like this. "Mom, stop crying. Mom? Mom, listen to me." I pleaded to her grasping her shoulder. "Des! Des!"

My brother came hurrying in at the yell of his name. He knelt by her holding her in a hug. "Come on, mom. Let's go get you some food and get a nap into you. What do you say?"

I watched them leave, my mom's cries fading as they got further down the hall. It all felt like a dream to me for some odd reason. I figured it must be my injuries.

"Sell, we're going to let you rest. We'll be back to check on you in a bit." Los said pushing the Lord out.

I nodded to them. "Ok. Thanks."

As the door shut I sat there staring out the window. I watched the clouds float on into the horizon lazily. Something within me was unsettling. What? Why?

Why did I feel troubled just by looking out into the horizon? Was there something out there that I was scared of? Of course, it must've been the Creepers and the skeleton that made me feel this way. There's no other explanation for it. The door opened and the doctor returned to give me medicine that would help me rest.

"Take this. It'll ease your head. You'll be able to sleep too."

I nodded taking the pill and swallowing it with water. He helped me settle under the covers and left the room. Before I knew it my eyes were heavy and I wanted to rest more. I felt them close and didn't stop them. Nothing but darkness would greet me as I dreamed.

I don't even think I was dreaming. It was just darkness. I stood there suspended in the air within the darkness that had no temperature. Even so, I still felt cold for some reason. My eyes looked about dully, almost lifeless.

Being here, I felt like a big part of me was missing. Why? Where had this part of me gone?

"Sell?" spoke a voice that sounded like a whisper.

I turned to the sound but saw no one there. Had someone just called my name?

"Sell."

I turned back towards the voice but still no one was there. "Who's there? Where are you?"

Silence met my questions. Something touched me making me spin around to see a small child staring up at me. "Where did you come from?"

"Sell, what are you doing here?" the boy asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked bending over slightly. "Where am I?"

"Hym, she doesn't remember." Spoke a voice that was gentle.

I turned to see a woman with white robes walking towards us. She looked like an angel. Something tugged within me but I didn't understand what it was trying to say.

I stared at her in silence as she stared at me back.

"You truly don't remember anything? Nothing at all?"

I shook my head in confusion at what she wanted from me. "Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?"

The woman smiled holding out her hand for mine. "We'll discuss this slowly. Take my hand, Lady Sell."

I hesitantly reached out, taking her hand, her icy cold hand that chilled me through to the bone. I gasped yanking my hand away and grasping it with my other hand. "You're so cold! What's wrong with you?"

The boy that she had called Hym gasped. "Oh no…! Her memory is truly gone!"

The woman before me nodded. "She'll get it back. Her body, her mind, her existence, won't let her forget it. She just needs to be shown."

"Force won't make that happen, Ananon." Spoke another voice.

I turned to see a bright light illuminating the darkness growing brighter as it neared. I shielded my arms with my arm from the light. "Who's there?"

"Lady Sell, it saddens me to see you like this." The woman said as the light began to fade. Her body was covered in white robes too. "Everyone cries out for you more than ever now."

I stared at her in silence. None of my questions had been answered. Was I dreaming? I had to be. The woman next to the younger raised her hand to me.

"I'll leave you with a gift to push you along to get your memory. You are the one that walks two worlds yet communicates to them both. You walk these two naturally. You intertwine them like yin and yang.

"Life and Death. Light and Dark. Good and Evil. It doesn't matter the name that you give them. There is only one who can battle one side to protect the other. There is only one who passes over to the darkness to take back what has fallen from the light."

"That is you, Lady Sell!" exclaimed Lady Ananon.

A bright light absorbed my body. I gasped at the rate it had absorbed me and shut my eyes thinking that I was going to die but it soon faded leaving me alone in the darkness. I looked down to see my body covered in a black and white cloak split right down the center between the two colors.

_"It does not matter whether you are lost or afraid,"_ the voice whispered to me in the darkness. _"You are not alone in your fight. Just listen and you'll hear the voices that cry out for your help. It'll all fall into place."_

"Wait!" I cried out into the darkness. "What are you talking about? Tell me more! Hey!"

My eyes opened to see blue eyes staring over me. I gasped sitting upright. The figure step away smoothly, not making any sound. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

I stared at Hel and sighed. "Hel. Why are you staring at me so closely?"

He looked down apologetically. "I was wondering if you were ok. Clothes appeared on your body." His eyes went to my chest.

Looking down I saw the cloak that had been put on me by the woman from my dreams. I gasped grabbing the clothing. "What the hell? I thought that was a dream?" I looked up to Hel who had a look on his face that I couldn't read. "What? What's going on? Hel?"

Hel shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It's ok." He turned and left from the room leaving me there alone.

I sat there in shocked confusion with heavy eyes. Before I knew it I was passed out once more with dreams of voices whispering to me.

'Lady Sell…Save us!'

'Lady Sell…!'

"Sell…!'

I curled up in the darkness, covering my ears and shutting my eyes tight. Why wouldn't they leave me alone? Who were they? It was several hours later before I was casted out into a field of flowers that went out a good bit. All around in the distance were mountains. Birds chirped and flew overhead making me duck my head slightly. I watched them play with one another in the air, doing their aerobatics. What was this place? Had I seen it somewhere? I walked to the edge of the field to look down at the gradual descend all around into other fields. Looking about I took note of the streams of water that ran through, sometimes intersecting. I was taken aback by the view. It was too gorgeous to be real.

"What is this place?" I asked myself aloud turning around to see a small cozy cottage with a water wheel on its side. I walked towards it transfixed by the coziness. "Why is this out here for? Where in hell am I?"

I touched the knob on the door, turning it. Surprisingly it was unlocked. Pushing open the door a male looked up at me with surprise. "Ah!"

"Ah!" I gasped in return. We stared at one another for a moment before the male smiled extending his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sell. I'm so glad you could finally make it here!"

I took his hand slowly and shook. "N-Nice to meet you too?"

He turned around and sat down in front of the fireplace. "We have much to discuss! I see you fought the Dark Lord! News of that battle has spread all through Minecraft!"

I stood there in complete confusion. "Pardon me, sir? Who are you?"

He looked back at me and face palmed himself. "Forgive me, my dear! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Lord Dra'tor. I'm the far Northeastern direction. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

I stared at him for a moment. "You're the same age as I am."

He blinked and shook his head. "I'm two years older. Very close observation though."

"I'm sorry, Lord Dra'tor. I've lost my memory. So, if you called me here for some reason from before, I don't know what it's about or what I can do." I stood there staring him with a disappointed frown. "I'm sorry."

He smiled gently. "I figured you had. How's your father?"

"Still recovering from the creeper and skeleton attack." I took a seat next to him staring into the fire. My eyes lifeless like before.

The Lord stared at me and chuckled. "Ok. I'll play along then."

I looked at him oddly. "What?"

He shook his head, his red spikey hair waving in his movements. He turned to me with his sand colored eyes and smiled. "They're protecting you. I'm surprised by that actually. I thought they would've forced everything on you but they actually aren't. Even though the situation we're in is dire."

A memory struck me then as I stared into the fire. I grasped my head tightly gasping from pain. "Ah!"

Dra'tor was at my side suddenly. "My Lady?"

I shook my head trying to make the pain stop. "It hurts…!"

"You're remembering something." Dra'tor said gently touching my face. "Calm down and let it come through."

I let myself go as instructed and was flung into a time that I had forgotten. I stood before a person, a creature, something that was cloaked, holding a scythe and wanting to kill me. His appearance sent chills down my body. The evil aura about him made me stop breathing. He neared me, his eyes alight with fire. I screamed shutting my eyes tightly. "No!"

"Sell!" barked Dra'tor shaking me. "Sell?"

I gasped for breath staring at him in fear. I tried to speak but nothing came from my mouth except for murmurs. I felt him hold me protectively.

"It's ok, Lady Sell. You're fine. You're safe here with me."

I shook against him with fear. Who was that I had just remembered? Why had I remembered something like that? "May I have some water?"

Dra'tor nodded and fetched me a glass of water. As he passed a notebook fell to the floor from the arm of his chair. I reached out taking the glass that he offered and also reached for the book too. He was going to stop me but hesitated. "My Lady…?"

I drank a few sips of water ignoring him. My curiosity peaked as I opened the book and skimmed the pages. I stopped flipping when I recognized someone. Laying the book open I pointed to the creature I had remembered. "That! What is that? I just now saw it in my memories!"

Dra'tor looked down at the page not replying. "That is the one that has placed us in the dire situation. That, my Lady, is the Lord of the Darkness or Dark Lord."

I looked at the Lord with dread across my face. What had the Lord of the Darkness done and what situation were they in?


	3. Chapter 3 The News of Life

Ch.3 The News of Life

I felt Dra'tor touch my cheek. "You ok?"

I nodded blinking. I had spaced out there for a moment. "Yeah. Just spaced out for a moment."

"I've kept you here long enough." He rose to his feet offering a hand down to me to take. "It's time that you returned. You don't need to exhaust yourself further."

I wondered what he was talking about as I was helped to my feet. I was helped towards the door in a daze and turned to him. "Will we meet again?"

"If you allow me to call you back when you sleep." He replied opening the door and bowing to me. "May you have a pleasant night, my lady."

As I nodded my head in return it all began to melt away and finally disappear from view. I opened my eyes to find myself back in the hospital room lying down in the bed. The door opened and Hel stepped in with a tray of food followed by my brother. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. "Hel, Toc. What's going on?"

Toc took a seat on the other side of my bed grasping my hand. "You won't believe what I just found out."

I looked to him wondering what he had heard and turned to Hel who took the seat next to me on the left. "What's the news?"

"Mom's pregnant."

I snapped my head around in shock. "W-What? Why? I thought I was the last she would have?"

Toc shrugged smiling. "I don't know but she's pretty thrilled. She's due in a few months. Six to be exact."

I looked down at the sheets playing with my fingers. Something within me told me that something would be much different from here on out, now expecting a new family member. I began to wonder how the kid would turn out. Would it be like her or her brothers? How would dad handle it?

"Wow. This will change everything." I looked at Hel who nodded quietly. "Is this my food?"

"Yes. I overheard the whole conversation between your mother and the doctor, told Toc and Des and now you. Your mother will tell your father when he gets well."

I sat there in silence. "I didn't know mom and dad kept going at it after all these years."

Toc and Hel couldn't help themselves and burst into laughter. I looked from toc to Hel before I too began to laugh. We sat there laughing for at least two minutes before we died down into silence once more. I poked at the bread on the tray. "So…The Dark Lord."

They both stopped in their chairs. No one moved. Hel breathed shallowly. "You remember him?"

"He's the scariest thing in my memory right now." I looked at him taking a bite of the bread. "How could I possibly forget him?"

"What do you remember the most about him?" Hel asked propping his head with a fist.

"The skeleton that has fire for eyes." The bread in my mouth suddenly didn't taste so good. I put it on the tray and put the tray on the wooden table. My appetite gone for the moment.

"The Skeletal Lord or Lady, in your case, is always seen like that when they change from their Minecraftian form to that of the dead," Hel said calmly. "It's always been that way. The thing that changes you into a Skeletal being is the possession of a Ghast or a Wraith."

"Was I possessed?" I asked looking at him.

"No. You were naturally born with the abilities from your father." Hel replied softly. "Yet, to make sure you had the powers… Your father did some early testing on you."

I stopped and waved my hands as my mind reeled with confusion. "I'm a Skeletal being or heir. That's what you're telling me, right?"

Hel nodded slowly.

"Yet I don't remember anything of being one. That story of the creepers and the skeletons attacking me and dad."

"A simple lie," spoke Toc. "We had too."

I huffed trying to make sense of everything. Nothing made sense to me though. That was the problem. "Mom's pregnant, I'm an heir, dad's a Lord, I'm a Lady, Hel is my body guard and best friend, and the Dark Lord…What's he done?"

"A lot," muttered Hel scowling at the floor. "He's what put you and your father in the hospital in the first place."

I shuddered at the thought of the skeletal head with its fire eyes. "What do you mean? We had a fight or something?"

"The most dramatic and powerful fight to be seen yet happened between you and him in the Nether just a night or so ago." Hel swallowed uneasily. "He's in the Minecraftian world. The living world now."

I blinked as my mind went back to Lord Dra'tor. _"We've been placed in a dire situation."_

"That's what he meant…" I muttered to myself. "How did he get here?"

"How?" repeated Toc.

"He created new creatures that could warp him anywhere he likes. The Nether, the living world, a house, a dungeon, a cave. Anywhere." Hel sat back in his chair staring at the folds of the sheets. "You left the Nether through a portal with your father and I. You allowed him to get away, Sell. You never got the chance to kill him."

My eyes flew wide open at this. '_It was my fault! How could I allow this to happen?' _My eyes searched Hel and Toc's faces for any sort of joke to this but there was none. I had truly done this. I had allowed this evil creature into our lives now. I was the one to blame.

My face rested in my hands as I stared into the sheets with shock. Neither of them comforted me, neither said a word to me about it. It was complete silence. The air hung heavy with emotions unsaid.

"Hel, what happened after the fight? Who brought me here?"

"The other Lords." He reclined back in the chair quietly. "Once you get your memory back we'll be back on the frontlines to handle Hatos."

Toc nodded in agreement. "They all miss you greatly it seems but the Lord's are dividing the work amongst themselves while you, father, and Lones rest. It'll be ok for the time being."

I nodded feeling useless once more. The depression returning to grasp me in a tight fist. I ate a little bit more of the food that had been brought for me but it had no taste. Maybe I would get my memory back before I left the hospital? Maybe it would return to me when I got home?

I was stuck in the hospital for two more weeks before finally being released on keeping good health for a whole week and a half. My memory hadn't returned. We returned home with father and mother, Toc and Des. I would sit at my window and stare out at the farmland in a daze for hours on end. My brothers or my mother would find me there. Sometimes I'd be found sitting on the barn roof looking out into the distance with no recollection of how I got myself up there.

It was like I was walking about in a dream that seemed to go on forever around me. I wondered when Lord Dra'tor would call me again, if he ever would. I began to slowly get back into the farm life and help my brothers with the animals and fields. I liked the farm life and wondered why I would leave all of this. I stood on the upper side of the town looking below at the market place thinking.

How could I forget all of this? From simple attacks from Creepers and Skeletons too!

"Sell!" Des called out approaching from the direction of the house. "You want to help me unload the wool at Mr. Frye's farm?"

I nodded and walked with him as our old horse walked on down the street. Mr. Frye was down the street and on the right another block. We arrived there to see Mr. Frye, a small thin man with scraggily hair, holding his pig that had a saddle on it.

"Ah! Des! Good timing!" he called out in the pig's pen. "Come help me get this saddle of this pig! One of my son's children tried to ride it and fell off. The poor pig doesn't like anyone touching it."

Upon saying that the pig squealed trying to leap away from the old farmer. Des leapt the fence and helped Mr. Frye with the pig, putting it in a choke hold and locking it between his legs while the old farmer got the saddle off. Des let the pig go and both he and Mr. Frye scrambled over the fence and out of attack range of the angered porker. It squealed over and over at them before trotting away to eat food from its trough. Des and Mr. Frye sighed against the fence and shook each other's hands, thanking one another.

"Des, I'm so glad you got here to help me with him. I might be missing fingers by now!" the old farmer chuckled holding his hands up.

"I'm glad I came when I did also," he smiled and looked at the old mare that was still hitched to the cart. "Where do you want this wool?"

After a moment of figuring out where to place the three stacks of wool Mr. Frye finally decided to put it in the barn's upstairs. With the wool unloaded and stacked in the warm covered barn I was able to sit and rest. Mr. Frye looked over at me drinking water and stopped. "You're Sell! The one who was attacked by the Creeper and Skeletons! Good heavens, darling! I'm shocked your still alive!"

I blinked at him. "Uhh…" I turned to Des who wiggled his nose. No one knew the truth and no one was supposed to. I turned back nodding. "Yes, sir. It was scary."

"Thank Notch that Hel was on lookout duty that night and saw the commotion," Des added sitting next to me. "Dad's still recovering but Sell is a quick healer. Her ribs healed up in less than the appointed time."

Mr. Frye beamed. "That's wonderful news! Any child of Rien's is a strong one!"

Des scratched his head turning away shyly. "You're too kind, Mr. Frye."

He thanked us for the delivery and paid my brother the amount he was supposed to. Twelve papers and three gold nuggets. Des folded the papers, putting them in his jacket and pocketing the nuggets. We got our mare and walked on towards him.

"Do we always do things like that?" I asked turning to Des.

"Yeah. Well, it's sometimes cheaper but with the medical bills we're having to pay and the land taxes coming up we had to raise the prices of trade by four papers and two nuggets."

The mare snorted nipping the back of my head. I giggled scratching her nose. She nickered softly, enjoying the attention. A fair wind blew across the town, ruffling foliage, disturbing hair, hats, and anything else that could get disheveled or blown away. The old mare whinnied perking up and sniffing the air. Des held her reigns with a firm grip to keep her there.

"It's ok, girl. Calm down."

I stared out into the distance with the sun sinking into the horizon. Something was going to happen soon. Something deep within me somewhere was starting to stir. Something that I hed felt before back in the hospital. When that odd dream happened when the woman in it gave me a cloak.

What was going to happen? What was coming? A man's face smiled in my mind from the shadows of some place. I felt my heart jump in my throat before racing away.

"Sell?" Des asked making me turn to him. "You're pale. Are you ok?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yes! Let's head home!" I took the lead smiling. My hand clenched my shirt over my heart as I tried to regain control over my faced paced pulse.

What had that been? Who was that? With every step I took I felt dread flooding over me. My chest tightened at the feeling as it grew over me. I panted as I struggled to breathe.

Why? Why was he in my head? Who was he?

"Sell!" Des yelled out. "Sell!"

Des grasped me as I was about to hit the ground from collapsing. He shook me repeatedly calling my name. I had slipped unconscious, being washed away by this unknown dread.


	4. Chapter 4 The Lord of Light

Ch.4 The Lord of Light

I awoke to find myself in the hospital once more. Hel, Toc, Des, my mother, Los, and another male I didn't remember all stood about my room looking worried. Hel sprang forward to lean heavily on the end of the bed. "She's awake!"

The others looked and gasped all nearing me together. "Sell!"

I blinked and slowly sat up. "What happened?"

"You fell unconscious again. It seems your memory had a relapse again or something," Toc said waving a hand. "The doctor wasn't really making much sense."

"A relapse?" I repeated looking about. "I remember you all except him."

They all looked to Skelar who frowned. "This is your friend, Skelar. He's new here. You met him a few months ago before the attack."

Skelar looked at them with a questioning look. Hel glared at him with a smack against the back of his head. Skelar winced rubbing his head. "Yep."

I stared at him for a moment before it struck me. "Ah! You were the one I fought! Hel, you were there too!"

Hel and Skelar perked at this and turned to one another. "You remember?"

I nodded. "I won! You were beat by a girl!"

Skelar growled as Hel wrapped an arm about his neck to roughly rub his knuckles over Skelar's head. "Lucky us! She remembers that fight!"

I smiled at them as they fought with one another lightly. Everyone seemed to have better spirits now, seeing as I was awake once more.

As night fell Rien sat in the living room staring at the fire with a blanket draped on him. He stood silently at a faint sense and strode towards the door. Upon opening it a male with a hooded cloak approached him. His shoes not making a sound on the gravel path.

"You've come earlier than expected."

"Your senses haven't faded a bit I see, Rien," smiled the figure. "Good to know you can still catch me."

Rien shut the door behind him to stand beneath the porch with the male.

"I'm surprised you've come early. What's brought you here at a time like this? We made a deal-"

"It's becoming quite bad, Rien." The figure spoke quietly. "She needs to get on her feet as fast as possible. You know this as well as I do. Everyone does."

It was true. Rien did know what was going on. What had happened after the fight with Hatos. "I do. I'm just uneasy about all of this. I hate to not have her in my sights."

"She'll be fine, Lord Rien," the male said comfortingly, touching his shoulder. "You know she won't be touched within the sacred lands."

"Sacred Lands of your great great grandfather," whispered rien. "He and the others that were alive to create those lands are held with highest respect still today."

"You know how too. I know you do. You've made this town a sacred ground," the male said turning slightly. The wind rustling his cloak.

Rien stared at the distant lights of the town below. "I felt it was needed. To let my children grow up as well as Lord Lones's only son. I did it also for the Lord's that would travel here to hold meetings with us."

"The other Lord's know not of this type of ability. To them it's a lost art." The male said leaning against the fence post. "Sell needs to learn this art as well. Knowing her, once her memory returns, she'll have no problem."

Rien and the male stood there in silence. Rien's mind ran over the decision that was to be made. There were no options left. There was no time given to post pone this meeting.

"How bad has it gotten?"

"Three towns and four villages have been wiped out in one night," the cloaked figure said gravely. His hood turned towards Rien. A pair of sand colored eyes burned brightly beneath. "Sell must come with me, Rien. The werewolf must stay behind."

"He won't like this separation," sighed Rien.

"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

Rien's hands clenched. "She's at the hospital. Her mind had a relapse today."

The figure stepped away, the cloak whispering behind him. "She'll be back at the time of war."

Rien stopped. "What? When?"

The male stopped at the gate, touching the latch. "Under the tenth moon of Hazy Craft. Near the borders of the Rune Citadel and Enitios Valley."

Rien watched the male open the gate and pull himself up into the saddle of a Nightmare horse. The horse snorted, rearing up in excitement. The rider urged it on and bolted down the path with speed unmatched by any other horse. Rien turned and headed back into the house, his heart heavy with the thought of Sell not being home for a long time. He sat back in front of the fire staring into the flames.

"Hun? Who were you talking too?" Aumi asked softly walking in from the entrance room.

"A Lord," he murmured as he felt his wife touch him on the shoulder. He reached up and grasped her hand. "He's going to take Sell and help her get her memory back."

"Now?" Aumi asked.

Rien nodded. "It's what needs to be done. Her mind won't let her forget what needs to be done. Her spirit will not fail. They will continually push forward until she can't handle it anymore."

Aumi sat down to snuggle against him. With one daughter leaving their side and another child on the way, they could only hope that it would be peaceful until then.

I sat in my bed trying to rest alone in the hospital room. No one was there watching me. Seeing as I was stable but they were holding me over night just to check. I sighed sitting there staring out the window. Something within me stirred more and more.

I wanted to get up and leave this place but I knew not why. As I began to shut my eyes the door to my room opened. I turned to see a male in a hooded cloak standing there, the lights in the hallway off.

"Lady Sell of Lord Rien, it's time for you leave this place and come with me." He held out a hand for me to take.

I blinked staring at him as I slowly sat up. "Who are you?"

"You already know me," the male replied, his voice sounding like he was smiling underneath the hood. "Fear not, for I will guide you back to the path you belong on with my light. All you must do is follow."

My legs and body moved on its own. I was standing before him. That feeling within me flared up with a passion. My hand grasped his. "If you're offering a service to me I cannot deny it. A part of me is urging to be back."

"Then let's bring it back," he replied taking me away into the darkness where we both disappeared.

The lights in the hospital turned back on and all of the people that were asleep awoke. None remembered a thing that had happened nor of the hooded cloaked visitor that had come and gone with only one patient.

I found myself once more within a bed staring up into a tall window that light filtered through. Dust and particles floating through the air, some shimmering while others remained unchanged by the light.

"The Lady has awoken," spoke a soft voice to my side.

I turned to see a young teen sitting there with beige hair swept to the side, bangs framing his face, and a ponytail in the back. "Who are you?"

The teen shut his book and leaned back in the chair. "I am the one that will be watching over you while my Master teaches you. My name is Mordan Levine. Are you feeling well?"

I nodded sitting up. The room seemed to be a Master bedroom of some sort. A bathroom in the corner, a writing desk at a tall window, and a huge circular rug that took up most of the room. Off to the right of me in a corner were a few chairs and a table. "How long have I been out?"

"Not too long. A night," the teen replied getting to his feet. "I'll let you dress. I'll be in the hall."

I nodded and watched him leave, shutting the door behind him. I slowly got out of the soft bed and made my way to a chest to find clothes neatly folded. I put on a graphic tee and pants before putting my shoes on and stepping out into the hall. Mordan looked at me briefly before standing and walking ahead of me.

"From this point on you will have a strict schedule. You are not to break from it. Is this understood?"

"Y-Yes." I stammered wondering what sort of schedule I was being placed on.

We past a balcony that looked over the living room or could it have been the dining room? I wasn't sure. The place was quite elegant. Glow stone hung from the ceiling, illuminating the place in every corner. We stepped down a spiraling staircase and passed through a living room and then through a second living room where we finally came to a breakfast seating area and finally the kitchen.

"Good lord this place is huge!" I whispered looking about.

"You are amongst the northern Lord's, my Lady," Mordan spoke as he pushed open the kitchen door. She looked past him into a brilliant kitchen that was almost as large as one of the living rooms. Several men were standing about preparing something before looking up.

"Good morning, Lady Sell!"

I stood there awestruck. "G-G-Good morning."

"I'm so glad you woke," spoke a familiar voice. "I was beginning to worry if your relapse had effected your memory again."

I turned to see Lord Dra'tor standing there with a platter in his hand piled high with pork chops that had been cooked to perfection. "Lord Dra'tor. You've called me here again?"

He chuckled. "No. I bought you here last night. Don't you know of teleportation?"

"She's lost her memory, Dra'tor. Stop messing with the poor Lady," spoke an older male who gave a sharp look to Dra'tor.

"This is Lord Delcery, Lord Banos, Lord Athen, Lord Etroth, Lord Skeline, and least but not last Lord En'nale."

"We make up the Northeastern border and territory of the Skeletal race here," spoke Lord Banos who had amber hair shaped as a sharks fin.

"It's our greatest pleasure to meet you at last, Lady Sell!" exclaimed Lord Delcery who had short orange hair.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all too," I said bowing.

We had a moment where we bowed to one another repeatedly before we all stopped and burst into laughter. After breakfast I was sad to see the Lord's leave to head back to their part of the world. I understood though. Being a Lord was a difficult position. They already felt like family to me in such a short time.

I waved them goodbye on the front stoop and finally let my arm fall to my side as the last Lord disappeared down the street from view. "I wish they could've stayed with us longer."

Dra'tor smiled leaning on the door with his arms folded across his chest. "If they stayed any longer we wouldn't get any work done. They're such slackers."

I frowned at the tone he had used towards them. "That's not nice, even when you're the head leader."

He blinked at me for a moment before a smile crept across his face. "I'll be quite glad when your memory is back, Lady Sell. I'll enjoy telling you all the things you said while having your memory gone."

I stared at him with wondering eyes when a bird swooped across the sun light making a dark shadow cross us. I whirled around with wide eyes to see a clear sky above.

"I keep thinking that something is going to attack me."

Dra'tor straightened. "Come on in. It's time we got to work."

I did as I was told and went inside. The teen that was to watch me stood in the room off to the side waiting patiently for his orders. Dra'tor looked to him. "Get the assessment room ready."

The teen bowed and left in a hurry. I wondered what an assessment room was exactly but decided to find out for myself instead of ask. I was suddenly face to face with a scythe blade and gasped leaping away.

"What the hell?"

Dra'tor gave me a soft look at my reaction. "You'll be practicing with this. If you lose it I'll just get you another. Take it."

I stood there staring it before grasping the scythe pole lightly. It felt odd in my hands. Something about it didn't feel right. Wasn't it an ordinary scythe? Dra'tor grasped my arm and drug me alongside of him towards the room that he had told the teen to get ready. "It's time to open up that mind again. We aren't going to be stopping any time soon. Don't be complaining about it because you were warned. Got it?"

I nodded quietly. Just how bad was this going to be exactly? We entered a room with a high ceiling, wooden beams crossing here and there. The tiled floor had taken a real beating over time from countless spars. Mordan stood along the side wall waiting. "Everything's ready."

The doors shut behind us making me jump slightly. The feeling in the air was making me nervous. It's like they were waiting for something huge to happen. Surely getting my memory back wasn't that big?

"Are you ready, Sell?" Dra'tor asked me calmly with his back to me.

I was hesitant in replying. "Yes."

I heard the sound of something moving through the air quickly and a flash of light blinding me was coming closer. I sensed blood lust coming from him all of a sudden. My scythe reacted and I was staring face to face with Dra'tor panting in fear.

"Why are you trying to kill me?"

Dra'tor grinned. "It must be done for you to get your mind back. Fear is what's making you forget. Fear is what's placed you in this state. Fear is what you've allowed to take you over. Why?"

I blinked at him trying to think and was thrown back by him. I slid back in a crouch before straightening up. It seemed that my body knew how to move out of memory of fighting so many times. It was almost natural. I held up my scythe defensively, the pole feeling cold in my grasp.

This wasn't my scythe; my body sensed that. It yearned for the scythe it had known for so long.

"Sell, concentrate!" barked Dra'tor. "Close your eyes and get focused!"

I felt like I should've done that before. My eyes closed placing myself in a dark place all of a sudden. I looked about for Dra'tor but he was nowhere to be seen. "Where am I?"

Footsteps echoed about me suddenly. Something was fluttering behind in the air like it were made of cloth.

"It's a shame that you couldn't hold onto me but then again I'm glad. Now everyone knows that you couldn't handle this job. You lacked things that most people wouldn't lack."

I scanned about for the person but couldn't see a thing. "Who are you? Where are you?"

My body began to break out into a cold sweat. Why was I so scared? A figure flashed within my mind grinning. I shook my head to clear my mind. Who was that?

"You're so lost it's quite funny. How can you forget me, Sell? I was the one you came too for help. I was the one you cried on when you were under pressure. I was the one who destroyed all of your enemies."

My mind remembered fights and battles that I hadn't recalled before. But I saw a different person, not me. It was a skeletal being with a black and white cloak with a scythe. I suddenly saw this being standing before me when I snapped back to reality. "Who are you?"

The skeletal being chuckled, it's eyes roaring with flames. "I'm _you_!"


	5. Chapter 5 The Lady and the Skeleton

Ch.5 The Lady and the Skeleton

It was in the early morning when Hel got off his night shift on the wall. No one said that they would go check up on Sell. He figured he'd go and do that while everyone was still asleep. Since it was still early in the morning he could slink about using his enhanced abilities, take a leap through the air for a bit. He grinned at the thought but checked around him before doing anything.

No one was about. He took one step and leapt forward, sailing over twenty to thirty or so blocks before leaping once more. It felt good to let go once in a while. Since he hadn't been able to do what he had been doing out in the wilderness. He missed going on adventures with Sell and fighting the bad guys.

Why did she have to return for her family? He knew she loved them and had to protect them but her father could lead the group without her. Surely he was more than capable for a bit longer? He could tell that Sell would've been restless if she hadn't been so injured after the fight. She would be out there trying to find Hatos.

He arrived at the hospital, smoothing his hair from it being windblown before stepping through the sliding glass doors. The nurses behind the desk leapt up as if panicked.

"She's gone! We can't find her anywhere!"

Hel looked at them wondering what they were talking about. "Who's gone?"

"Sell!"

His eyes widened. "Did she get her memory back?"

The nurses shrugged. "She was still lost when we left her last night…"

Hel shot past them in a sprint. Had she gotten her memory back while asleep last night? But if she were to have left he would have seen her go. If she had warped then he would've gone with her. It happened last time so it would've happened again.

He slid to a halt and looked into the room she had been in last night. Everything had been neatly arranged like it was ready for someone else. He whirled around at footsteps to see the doctor that had been treating her the last couple of times.

"Something weird happened last night."

"Yeah, I know. Sell's got her memory back and fled!" grumbled Hel going to walk past him but the doctor grabbed him, preventing him from going anywhere.

"We were put into a deep sleep, one by one. The lights all went out and the place was put into pitch blackness. When we awoke it was all at the same time, the lights all on and nothing touched."

Hel listened to the man as the description of the events began to put Hel into a worried state.

"We immediately checked each patient but no one had left. I checked the clock and it had only been one minute since we were put asleep and awoke again. I came down here and looked in on sell but found her bed and room empty. No one had seen her leave and no one had seen anyone come for her."

Hel remained there frozen. "You were all asleep for a minute. What took place only took a minute to happen. What in hell could only take such a short time?"

The doctor let him go before walking away. "Find her, Hel. She doesn't need to be wandering about with her mind as it is."

Hel sprinted past the doctor in a blur. He didn't care if the townspeople saw that he wasn't normal. He didn't care if they saw him moving faster than them. Nothing mattered now. He broke a sliding door as his shoulder smashed through but didn't stop him.

Rien needed to know this! He sprinted up the gravel pathways and down the road that the farm spanned ahead. He leapt the fence gate and busted the front door down panting. Lord Rien and his wife both leapt in their chairs staring at him in shock. "Hel!"

"Sell's gone! She's not at the hospital!" Hel barked through his pants.

"I know that, Hel. Did you have to bust down my door though?" Rien replied calmly as he moved past the werewolf to pick up the pieces of shattered door on the floor.

He stood there confused. "You know? What do you mean you know? It happened early this morning!"

"No, it happened last night around midnight," Rien replied tossing the remnants of the door into the fireplace. "I know this because I allowed it to happen."

Hel stood in the doorway in shocked silence. "W-What? You let he go? Did she have her memory back?"

Rien shook his head. "The Lord that came last night is an old friend. I knew his father and grandfather personally. She'll be fine with him."

Hel slammed his palm against the doorframe, his arm blocking the path that Rien was going to take to get by him. "What man took her? What's his name?"

Hel heard the Lord sigh. "I won't tell you, Hel. This needs to be done, for her sake. Let her be trained and get her memory back. It's for her own good. Besides, I need you to guard my newborn and wife while I'm away on war."

"War?" Hel exclaimed in his face. "What war? How am I not gone yet?"

Rien ducked under Hel's arm and went back to his place at the table. Feet could be heard walking in from upstairs.

"What's all the commotion about, Hel?" grumbled Toc sleepily.

"Nothing, Toc," Rien said calmly sipping his warmed milk. "Your sister has gone to get trained and Hel wanted to go with her but he was left behind. The reason you're not gone yet is because your collar is not the same one that Sell placed on you. When you got back from the adventure I switched it with another, knowing that you and Sell wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. I hadn't counted on this huge fight that ensued with Sell and Hatos."

"Trained?" grumbled Des following his brother to the table. "Where?"

"Far away," their father replied looking at the newspaper. "Hmm, we're in for some showers in a few days."

"Hun, you said we would go shop for the baby today," Aumi said touching his shoulder and smiling.

"Ah," Rien said putting the paper down. "I did. I forgot. Boys, since your sister is away, handle the farm for me. Hel, go up and get some sleep. You'll have a new role when the baby is born."

"I'm not doing it," Hel replied coldly as he left the kitchen. His hand grasped the collar with hatred. How could Rien do this to him?

Rien sat there as he heard Hel's heavy footsteps pound up the stairs to the second floor. He could hear the anger in his tread. Rien knew Hel was more obedient to his daughter now from spending all that time with her. _'I'm such a fool to be doing this. I'm sorry, Hel. Try to forgive me?'_

Hel shut the door behind him, his hands balling into fists at his side. How could Rien tell him to be loyal to someone else besides Sell? Hel went to the window that over looked one of the wheat fields. His mind went back to the first time he had ever met Sell and skipped through the time that he had been adventuring with her_. 'Sure the Lord's new child is important and yes it will need protecting when the war is upon us but why should it be me? Rayr isn't being told to remain behind. He'll be by Lones side and by Skelar. My place is next to Sell! Why can't he see that?'_

Hel flopped on his bed staring at the ceiling, his mind whirling about, trying to come up for reasons why Lord Rien wanted to remain behind. His mind began to go blank and sleep soon came over him, casting him into his dreams.

A quick scythe, as quick as lightening battered against another scythe that attempted to block the powerful attack. The wielder panted heavily as it was battered repeatedly and forced into submission.

"What are you doing? Defend yourself properly!"

"I-I'm sorry, sir!" panted the wielder of the weaker scythe. "Let me catch my breath!"

"No!" barked the man. "Get up! Now! Attack me!"

Hel could recognize Sell's voice but not the other. She was in some serious training. His eyes opened to stare at a darkened room. Sitting up he rubbed the back of his neck wondering why he would've been dreaming of Sell at a time like this. She was miles away. He sighed getting to his feet quietly. His curtains had been drawn shut, blocking out the midday sun.

"Are you ok, Hel?"

The voice nearly sent Hel out of his skin. He spun around to see Toc sitting in the darkened corner of his room sipping tea. "Damn it, Toc! You scared me shitless!"

Toc chuckled over his tea and set the glass down. "Sorry. That was unintentional. I swear. You seemed to be having a nightmare or something. You kept muttering something about Sell."

"Yeah, I dreamt about her," he replied tiredly parting the curtain slightly with a hand. "It seems that her training is quite intense. Much more than when I trained her. More than the fight that she had with Skelar and my father."

Toc sat there staring into the steaming liquid not knowing what he was talking about. "Those must've been some epic fights."

Hel turned to him quietly. "That's right. You don't know about this. I'll tell you of the stories then."

The curtain fell close again, placing them in a light darkness. Hel sat on his bed and began to tell the stories of the battles that Sell had fought. Toc sat there sipping his tea with wide eyes, hearing a side of his sister that he had never known or knew she had. Before they knew it night was upon them once more. Hel had hardly gotten any sleep but he didn't care.

As long as Toc knew the stories about Sell and what she had done for people around her that was all that mattered. Hel's door opened as Rien stepped in. "Come on. The meeting is going to be held in a moment."

Hel rose to his feet and paused. "Meeting? Again?"

"Yes, again. The world of Minecraft is being flipped upside down because of these creatures that Hatos created," Rien replied turning. "Come on."

Hel looked to Toc for a moment before leaving. Toc listened to the footsteps of Hel and his father leave the house before getting up and going to the window. Des walked past the doorway but paused and looked in to see his brother.

"What are you doing in Hel's room?"

"Brother, I just heard a life that our sister had never told us before," muttered Toc. "It's greater than anything we've ever done."

Des stepped into the room to stand in front of the door, staring at his brothers back. "What are you talking about?"

Toc turned around to face him with eyes filled with tears. "She's faced so many hardships and battles she could be a veteran! Now she's training harder than ever to get her memory back! There's going to be a war too!"

Des stared at his brother in silence wondering why he was in tears. "It's so great that it's brought you to tears?"

Toc nodded wiping his eyes. He hadn't cried in front of his brother in many years. He was sort of shy about it. "Sorry. It's just that I can't believe that everyone is backing Sell and driving her to the extremes just to fight for them."

"You're wrong. Sell isn't just fighting for them," Des said slightly angered. "She's fighting for us, the ones that can't defend themselves, the ones that have no home, and the ones that want freedom from the darkness. She's fighting to make Minecraft a better place to live!"

The brothers stared at one another. Soon Des was also crying. "We miss her. We want her back. We never wanted her to go."

"It's why I'm crying!" sobbed Toc falling his knees. "I want Sell to come back! Not go to the war!"

Des crouched hugging his brother, trying to comfort him. "It'll be ok. It's something that she has to do. She wouldn't have it any other way! If we take her from the fight she wouldn't want to leave the Lord's or anyone to face whatever that may come alone."

The brothers remained like that for a while longer comforting one another, their grief for their sister that was one again gone to finish up something that was back to drag her into its depths all over once more.

_'Sell, if you don't return from the war, what will the Lord's do then? If you fall to the enemy who will take your place?'_

Rien took up his cloak and a book from his office. Aumi had gone to bed early from their shopping in the market. It was time to gather the Lord's once more and see what was going on around the world. Hel sat at the bottom of the steps in a brooding way when Rien stepped out of his office.

"Everything quiet?"

Hel nodded without a reply and stood. Rien could tell that Hel was still mad at him. With Hel following behind in silence they made their way to the bunker where some of the Lord's were already there and milling about. Hel noticed that Rayr was among the Lord's and Skelar.

"So unlike you to be here, Rayr."

Rayr turned with a cold look. His upper lip twitching. "Can you believe what they're saying?"

Hel raised a brow in reply, wondering what was being said. Rayr snarled at the Lord's. "They're making me stay behind to guard the town!"

"That makes two of us," Hel replied draping an arm over Rayr's shoulder. "I have to stay to guard Aumi and the baby."

"Hah!" barked Rayr with a grin. "You got it worse than I!"

There were loud raps against wood that made everyone turn. The last of the Lord's had trudged in panting. "Sorry we're late. Terrible trouble hit."

"What sort?" Rien asked taking the podium.

The Lord's all shuffled to their seats to listen in on the conversation. Lord Skelrak slumped over to get his breath for a moment before straightening up slightly. "You won't believe us if we told you, Rien."

Rien leaned forward on the podium. "Go on. Tell us what happened."

"Dragons attacked Theron capital and village. The city has minor damage but not much. The village was utterly destroyed by the sage beasts and their riders!" barked Lord Older. "It was terrible, Rien!"

"Lord Estest, Chagar, and Ruem all stayed behind to fight while we raced here," panted Darnal. There were three groups with fifty dragons and riders in each."

The Lord's burst out in an uproar of chatter among one another. Hel and Rayr exchanged glances. Rien called out over the chatter to get them under control but they were too fired up. Hel and Rayr stood and howled out, making the chatter get drowned by them. Everyone stopped looking at them.

"Silence! Lord Rien is talking!" barked Rayr as he and Hel retook their seats.

"Thank you, Rayr and Hel. Lord's please contain your chatter for after I'm done. Lord Older, How were the others doing when you three ran here?" Rien asked looking to the three Lord's that were standing to the side.

No one spoke. Not even Lord Older. No one knew about their fighting situation but in their guts they knew it was bad. Rien nodded finally in the silence. "I'm going to dispatch ten Lord's to head to the capital of Theron and aide the others in the fight. I will also send one messenger to run back and forth to deliver updates."

The Lord's nodded in agreement. One Lord stood then looking unkempt and troubled. "What of the war? Who will be here? How long will it take to fight the dragons?"

Rien saw that he was a new one. "What's your name?"

"Lord Aeno," the young man with slicked back black, red, and white hair said. "I came with Lord Kimche from Awn."

"That's to our farther Northeast, correct?" asked Rien.

The young man nodded. "I came to aide our Lady in the battle but I was just told that she's lost her memory from a battle with the Dark Lord."

The room was silent. Not a person spoke but looked down in sadness. Rien smiled to them. "Stop looking depressed. She'll fight with us once more when the battle comes. She is working to get her memory back. Don't fret. We all must work hard as she is to show her that we haven't been slacking with her gone."

The Lord's agreed. Hel looked towards the young man and watched him take his seat. He leaned over to Rayr whispering. "That's Lord Socaza's son. Isn't it?"

Rayr turned slightly to look also and nodded to him. "I believe so. Looks just like him."

Socaza had been thrown out of the group for doing underhanded dealings with the enemy. Lord Rien had caught wind of this while Sell was gone on her adventure. He was banned permanently and out casted. Lord Socaza hadn't told his son about this apparently because this banning also went to a Lord's family and heir as well.

"We'll have to inform Rien of him," Rayr whispered.

Hel shook his head. "Rien's got a lot going on right now. We'll have to handle it ourselves."

"I have wonderful news to tell tonight. I will tell you all after the meeting though. Just so we can be uplifted from our sadness." Rien beamed at the Lord's below. It was obvious that he was proud about something.

The Lord's took their seats and explained what happened before they were leaving. Rien dispatched several of the Lord's and had them leave the room immediately. "Also, I want Aeno to be the messenger. Head out and follow after them."

Aeno stood hesitantly and hurried out, tagging along with the Lord's. Rayr and Hel looked to one another in speculation before turning back to the front. The door was banged on furiously then. Hel leapt up and answered it to see a peeved looking teen with a hooded cloak about him holding up a huge satchel of letters. "International deliveries."

Hel moved aside to allow the young teen to come in where he placed the satchel down and turned around. "That's all."

The young teen took the door and closed it behind him. Hel looked at the satchel, taking a letter and opening it.

"What does it read, Hel?" Rien asked from the stage.

"Dear, Skeleton Lord's. This is Lord Zonir from the Southeast borders. Dragons have come and destroyed our village, town, capital, and ravaged our crops. Upon writing this letter I hope that it gets to you in time. I'm currently fighting the dragons along with several others and it isn't look to bright. I've gotten word that seventeen more like us have been hit by these bastards. I'm afraid that they are heading towards you all. You must get to a safe place immediately before the horde arrives there."

Hel stopped reading and looked up at Rien. He tossed the paper away and began to go through the satchel, reading each letter. "Each one says the same thing, Rien. They're moving up the coast. It seems they started out in the far reaches of the central plains."

"Central plains?" repeated the lord's in low murmurs.

"Isn't that where Lord Socaza went when he was exiled?"

"I heard he went into the mountains and got lost in the deep caves."

"No, it was a huge ravine. He got buried under a mountain of sliding gravel."

Hel bellowed above them all. "Silence!"

"What's our course of action, Rien?" Lord Lones asked once the others had calmed down. "Since you did just send Lord Socaza's son out the door."

"I'm aware of that, Lones," Rien said coolly. "It's better for him to be out of our hair and out there."

"But was it truly wise of you to place him with the mercenaries? He could have it all sabotaged," Lones said sounding annoyed.

"We'll have to see," replied Rien as the Lord's stared at him thinking over the decision.


	6. Chapter 6 Dream Sorcery

Ch.6 Dream Sorcery

I stared into the fiery eyes of the skeleton. Had it just said that it was me? How could that be? I thought I was myself, not this thing. My head confused itself, making me get a slight head ache.

"Isn't it sad how your brother's got glory before you? Leaving the house ahead of you and being more successful?" the skeleton sneered in an icy tone.

"No. That's not true," I said shocked by what it was saying. "How could you say that about my brother's? I'm never jealous…"

The skeleton chuckled at me. "That's a shallow lie! You were jealous when you didn't have any friends but everyone else did! You were jealous of your brother's for being so popular. You wished it were you!"

My teeth ground in anger at what it was saying. "Shut up! That's not true!"

"It is true!" snapped the skeleton, its eyes raging. "Everything I've said is your jealousy! Is your anger! Your hatred! It's what fuels you to do the things that you would never think of doing!"

I didn't know how to come back on that. I hated how it was true. It knew how I felt and grinned.

"Realizing it now? Isn't it a pity that you don't know yourself? Stupid bitch."

I felt myself fling forward out of anger. The skeleton matched my blow with a copy of it. We clashed several times over and over, even in power. Something told me that I would lose this fight though.

"You're an even bigger idiot by fighting me like you are!" snapped the skeleton and flung me away.

Dra'tor and the teen stood there staring at Sell, eyes closed and waiting on her concentration to hit. Dra'tor sighed and turned to the teen. "How long has it been?"

"Five minutes," the teen replied. "Does she not know how to concentrate?"

The Lord scratched his head before leaning on his scythe. "I'm sure she does. You can't forget how to do that. Yet, I can't shake this bad feeling."

"I'm getting it too," replied the teen. "Something's not right."

Dra'tor moved towards Sell, the feeling inside him growing. "Sell, open your eyes."

Sell never opened her eyes or responded. He knelt down next to her, shaking her slightly. "Sell?"

Her head fell back as if she were dead. Dra'tor narrowed his eyes. "Shit! Her Skeletal side has her!"

I slid across the ground without pain but came to a stop with unseen friction. I got to my feet to see the skeleton upon me. It grabbed me by the throat tightly, pushing me up against an invisible wall.

"Why do you think I hate everything that's happened to you? Everyone around are fools! They think that you'll do everything for them while they sit back and eat their food, drink their milk and water! Live life easy while you're busting your ass all over the world for them! A job they could've handled without you!"

I grimaced at the grasp the skeleton had on me. "L-Let go!"

"You know this too! Those fools are slacking off because of you! Do you know how many fights you've been through just to save their sorry asses?" the skeleton hissed angrily. "Too many! Those bastards won't even confess to their cowardice!"

"Why are you telling me all of this for? Why can't you tell them yourself?" I asked it trying to get a breath.

"You really are a lost little lamb," growled the skeleton. "Fine, I'll tell you why. Because you and I are part of one another. I've told you that before. You use me to battle the evil at night and I use you as a voice to the evil and the dead. Simple, right?"

I managed to push the skeleton off me and crouch down gasping for air. "Why are you trying to kill me then if you're a part of me?"

"Because, the skeleton beings were once Ghasts or Wraiths that moved freely. We went wherever we wanted. Being trapped in a body, we have an instinct to consume everything," the skeleton replied glaring at me. "You are in a weakened state right now. Something we love to prey on."

I gasped in shock. The skeleton grinned in amusement. "Mmm, look at that face. So amusing."

I backed away from the skeleton on my palms. It took a step after me.

"Don't run, child. All I want is that bright energy of yours so that I can return to my former glory."

I looked down at my chest and saw it burning brightly. A memory struck me then with such force I was knocked into a state of paralysis. Darkness consumed me and placed me in a place that was much different. My mind had me floating in darkness that was so silent. I lie there suspended in the darkness, my mind blank.

Time from the past seemed to fly by me in black and white. Lady Ananon's voice, Queen Lyrena, Serdra, the villagers, Skelar, my father, mother, Toc and Des, the towns people, the Lord's, Hym, the spirits that wander about being tricked by Hatos, and Hel. It all flew past me as if my mind were remembering it all for the last time.

_'Sell…'_ a voice in a whisper called out.

My head fell back at the call.

_'Sell, what are you doing?_' the voice whispered as if it were scolding me.

"I don't know. What am I doing?" I asked looking about lazily.

The voice that whispered seemed like it was suddenly combined into many people in one.

_'You've been fighting for your life ever since you met Hel. I'm terribly sorry for bringing you into this.'_

_'This is important for your future, dear child of the devil. You must not allow this future to happen, whatever the case may be.'_

The memory of Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena stood before me showing me how Hatos had become the Lord of the Darkness. Something about it made my insides churn. Why? What was it that made me feel this way?

_'Sell, please know that all of this evil was because I failed to stop it. I'm so sorry.'_

Lady Ananon turned to me with a pained expression, eyes filled with sadness. As if she couldn't live with herself for dying like she did.

_'You did your job well, Sell. You led the lost lambs of Notch to the Aether in one try. You made great strides to become a great Lady of the Skeletal race.' _

Queen Lyrena appeared smiling at me, radiating a motherly aura, so warm and comforting.

_'Your title is what all Minecraftian's have prayed for. You are The Prophecy.'_

Lady Ananon appeared facing me with a serious look.

"The Devil's Prophecy," I corrected.

_'Yes. You are The Devil's Prophecy. Fear of the Nether and the justice of Minecraftian's. A different type of Skeletal heir altogether. You support life and death.'_

She began to fade away into the darkness leaving me alone. It began to slowly return to me. I had had these conversations before with people.

_'You are the savior for those that need help from the darkness that creeps across the land every night. The soul, a paradise for those that need salvation. Your hands, ever flexing protectively around the innocents that live. You are the Devil's Prophecy, the Savior to all, both living and the dead. Both cry out for you night and day! Sell!'_

I turned to see Lady Ananon standing there looking upset. I floated there staring in silence unable to reply. My chest burned with something I knew not of.

_'Sell, I gave you my heart to go on and stop Hatos! How could you let him beat you like this? What are you doing?'_

I felt a hand rest on my cheek bone. I turned to see the small wandering spirit Hym who looked sad and upset. Torn by something I knew not of.

_'Sell…! Look what he's done to you! Who will save us now? You said you wouldn't give up!'_

"Hym…" I whispered in a hiss. "Hym…Ananon…"

_'Sell…'_ the voice said softly but in a gentleman's tone.

I looked and saw Hel kneeling over me with a lost look in his eyes. "Hel…"

_'Don't give up just because we're gone. Others need you! Listen to them! Listen, Sell! Don't you hear them?'_

_'Sell,'_ spoke a voice that held wisdom and age.

I turned behind me to see my father. We stared at one another, my hand reached out for his. "Dad…!"

His hand reached out and touched mine_. 'Listen to the voices. They call out for help every day. All because of one man. You hear them? Their pleading voices, begging children, souls that have given up hope. Don't let them down. Don't let us down. Sell, get up!'_

_'Get up, Sell!'_ barked Hel.

_'Get up, Savior!'_ pleaded Hym.

_'Get up, Devil's Prophecy!'_ ordered Ananon.

_'Get up, Lady Sell!'_ ordered Queen Lyrena.

The pressure in my chest grew so great that it felt like it would make me explode. I cried out reaching through the darkness to grab whatever was holding me down. To push this weight from me, to let me back up and move freely. I wanted to be free again!

"Let me up!" I roared out bursting into flames.

I gasped grabbing my chest where it burned fiercely. The skeleton was standing over me with its scythe, ready to strike.

"No you don't," I growled as fire erupted from me and danced for the skeleton, roaring.

The skeleton sprang back in surprise and knelt there defensively. "What's this?"

I got to my feet, my hand grasping something that wasn't seen but I could feel its weight and coolness. "I'm going to have to leave you now. Something's come to my attention."

"Bitch!" spat the skeleton. "You don't know how to leave from here!"

I opened my eyes to find myself staring up at Dra'tor who had me in his arms all worried looking.

"Sell!"

I blinked and sighed with a smile. "Am I glad to see you?"

He sat me up with Mordan approaching cautiously. "Are you ok?"

I nodded. "If I hadn't had a jog in memory I might've been killed by that skeleton."

Mordan and Dra'tor looked at one another. "It's worse than we thought."

Dra'tor picks me up and takes me to the kitchen where I could get water and relax for a bit. I told them about my skeleton side, how it was jealous, angry, and filled with hate.

"So you're filled with anger, hate, jealousy, and pain," Mordan said softly leaning on the counter of the kitchen.

I didn't reply. I stared into the glass bottle that Dra'tor had handed me, the water shimmering from the light overhead. My mind going back to the memory that I had before waking up. Something that felt heavy within my hand but still couldn't be seen. I flexed my right hand slowly, wanting to feel the cold heavy weight from before. "How do I fight something that's a part of me without killing myself?"

Dra'tor looked at me then. He had been in a day dream for a bit. "It's not easy. Your other half can kill you in many ways. We have to be on guard at all times and not leave an opening. What I'm worried about is why you have such a fiery skeleton side and not some…"

"Because it's what Lady Ananon gave her," Mordan spoke after awhile.

"What if I back down?" I asked quietly making them both stop talking. "What if I let her take me over and end this entire thing?"

"Have you gone insane?" Dra'tor asked leaning forward, his eyes suddenly turning cold and angry. "How dare you say such a thing in front of us? We're not wasting our time for nothing!"

"Then what I am I to do?" I asked again looking desperate. "I can't make any headway until I conquer this. Right?"

"Correct," Mordan said taking my bottle . "Think of this bottle as your other half."

He holds up red dye and places it in the water, making it turn red. "This is your hate, anger, pain, sadness, jealously… All of it."

Dra'tor and I watch him place the bottle back in front of me. I look up at him confused. "The hell was all that?"

Mordan smiled and turned to walk away. "What clears up something that's clouded?"

Dra'tor looked at the bottle and up to me. "I see. That wasn't a bad idea."

I looked at him confused and watched him get to his feet. He placed his bottle in the sink and walked off, leaving me alone.

"Thanks. Thanks a lot." I grumbled and stared at the bottle. "What clears up something that's clouded?"

I yawned resting my head on my hand. Such puzzles weren't my strong suit. Before I knew it I was asleep. I found myself drifting through heavy fog towards a destination unknown.

"Are you up to your tricks again, Dra'tor?" I asked calling out. No replies.

Was I truly alone this time? I began to wonder about that when I saw something bright moving about the same speed as I was but it was a bit further ahead of me. The thick fog didn't help me on trying to see it any better. It was frustrating me at times when it would go through not so thick fog and I still wouldn't be able to see it.

"Grr… If only I had light!" I barked aloud.

There was a giggle that made me look for the source. "Hello?"

"So funny," giggled the voice. "It's like you've forgotten."

I was going in circles now trying to find where the voice was coming from. There was no one there that I could see. "I have apparently. So jog my memory a bit. How do I get some light up in here?"

The voice was now closer than before. "I can't help you, Sell. It's up to you to find the fire to light your path. Like all parents have told their children, light of some sort will always make things clearer and will fend off the evils of the night."

"How will I know if I don't have the light? What if I can't get the light to help me? Will I still know I'm going down the right path?" I asked.

There was no reply. I think I asked the wrong question.

"Search yourself for the answer. Your memories are very dear to you in times of need. Everything you need to know has been laid out for you at important times." The voice began to fade away. "You just have to remember."

I suddenly felt the gravity change and saw the fog surging upwards past me. Was I falling? The thick fog was beginning to clear. Below was a vast blueness that spanned for miles around me. The sun shining brightly to the west on my right.

I suddenly saw faintly lush landscapes and mountains forming below. I really was falling.

"Shit! Shit, what do I do?" I panicked screaming out loud. "Hey! Hey, help me!"

_'Search yourself for the answer. Your memories are very dear to you in times of need. Everything you need to know has been laid out for you at important times. You just have to remember.'_

What was I supposed to remember though? I shut my eyes trying to think back. I remembered…

Being in my second house and making a living. How it was thrilling to learn to make things, find food, create a hard earned life out in the wild. Then meeting Hel and being told of a destiny that I had been intertwined in from birth. How we traveled to far places of Minecraft, making friends and meeting new people. Then seeing my mistakes after becoming a new heir at a late time in it all, how I had made the village that we were in become hateful towards us.

My second time to meet Hatos face to face. Attempting to save Serdra, which was pointless in the end. How I had failed to send Hym and his parents and all of the other lost spirits to the Aether and pass on. Then meeting Hatos for a third time and battling to save everyone. Battling for lives that I held dear to me, to keep them alive even if I had to sacrifice myself.

I didn't care, as long as they were alive.

My body plummeted faster and faster. My eyes reopened to see the ground starting to meet me fast. I shut my eyes again. I pushed fourth what I had been holding within me for quite some time. I was scared to open my eyes.

I allowed myself to slowly open my eyes and found myself sitting at the table, covered in flames and wearing a black and white hooded cloak. The red dyed water was pure once more from being enveloped by my flames. Thinking back, each memory that I had of every encounter in my adventure I had met people in many different ways.

I had helped them by any means necessary. I had taken their evil with an open heart and had forgiven them for their sins before leading them to the Aether. I had taken in their anger, jealousy, pain, and their unlawful death. Dra'tor stood before me with a smile.

"You figure it out yet?"

I nodded holding up the bottle. "I'm back. It's time for me to take back the skeleton side that's been loose for too long."

I sensed a joy emanating from Dra'tor's body from the sheer sight of me. He had been waiting for some time for me to be at this stage.

"Close your eyes and concentrate. You'll come to it."

I did as I was told and found myself before the skeleton once more. It mocked me and smirked.

"You're back to allow me to kill you? How nice of you."

"I'm not back to let you have your way with me," I replied in a hard tone. My eyes darkening. "I came back to _take back_ what I've lost."

The skeleton's eyes danced with wonder. "What are you talking about, lost lamb?"

"You pushed me in the right direction I needed to go," I said with a smile. "Thank you."

The skeleton scoffed. "It was the wrong way! Do you truly still believe that the Lords are all backing you?"

I took a step forward the skeleton with a smile still. "I do. Earlier you were trying to get into my head, make me even weaker." I shook my head at it. "Not anymore. I know and believe with all my heart and soul that we are all fighting and protecting one another as hard as we can."

The skeleton growled at me and hissed. "How stupid can you be? Are you hearing yourself?"

I raised my right hand and urged her to come at me. "If you think I'm so wrong, come get me. I'm fully open."

The skeleton fell for the egging and leapt for me, its scythe raised. I had my own materialize before me, knocking the scythe from the skeletons grasp and enveloping it in a great hug. The skeleton gasped in shocked surprise at what was happening. My arms grasped it tighter, not letting it go.

"I know that you hate how I was raised, how things were hidden from me, how people treated me back then and now. It's ok though. I've grown up to accept this new life and how people treat me," I whispered. "I've come to understand a bit more about my father that I knew nothing of. How people really feel about me."

The skeleton grimaced, seeing that it couldn't persuade me more. "You'll be backstabbed by them sooner or later."

"I'll accept it with forgiveness like I've always done." I smiled resting my chin on the shoulder of the skeleton. "I'll be there for them as a dear friend to aide them in their mistake and set them right. Like I've done with everyone I've met so far. I'll be the Lady that everyone has been wanting back and calling for. It's my path of light and it's the path that is always and will always be illuminated for those that seek help in the night."

"Damn you…So be it." The skeleton faded into me, become part of me once more. I let my arms fall to my sides and exhale the breath I had been holding. I found myself in the kitchen standing before Dra'tor with a smile and eyes shining.

"It's done. How are the eastern Lord's doing these days, Lord Dra'tor?"

My legs suddenly gave on me, my body falling to the floor. Steady arms grasp me, holding me before I hit the floor. "Sell?"

Memories of a past I didn't remember began to flood my mind. Things that I hadn't remembered for so long were coming back to me. It all dealt with my father, my birth, Hel, the lab that father worked in, and the island. I had been born there, not in the town. I hadn't been born with my skeletal abilities at all.

None of us had. Father had placed those genes within us in the lab. Genetically altering us. I stared at the veiling with wide eyes. "Dear Notch…"

Dra'tor looked down at me worriedly. "Sell? What's wrong?"

I blinked turning to him. "You need to take me somewhere. I need to clear something of my past up."

Dra'tor raised a brow. "Where?"

"My father's mansion."

Dra'tor stared down at me for a moment longer. "Fine. I'll take you. You'll have to help me teleport there though."

I got to my feet and grasped his hands. "I'll follow your lead."

The familiar feeling of being sucked into the void could be felt. Our bodies being stretched and compressed, our air being pushed from us. I set the course to go to father's mansion before everything went black on us.

"Sell…"

My mind felt so heavy from the teleporting. It seemed to have its own pulse. Pounding in each ear.

"Sell…"

"Hm?" I groaned opening my eyes to have the moon looking down at me. It was night time. "Are we there?"

"Yeah," replied Dra'tor softly helping me to my feet. "Seems like the place is falling in though."

I turned to my left to see the once maintained mansion full of holes and things missing. "Wow. Minecraftian weather really is harsh."

I took the lead for the broken down door. Old stale remains of animals that had come and gone filled my nostrils. The glass that I had been drinking from the night that the mansion was broken into still remained on the counter untouched but cracked. Everything was like it had been the night we left it. I went down the ladder to the tunnel that led to the laboratories.

Dra'tor and I held up our fists that were illuminated with fire, lighting our path. The tile below our feet cracked and covered with moss. The walls starting to become over run with vines. We came to the first observation lab, all of the glass broken. No ogres left in the containment. We went down more steps to the lower level, the room that Hel had shown me pictures of me and my family when we had met.

I flipped a switch that turned on the lights above us. Dust particles floating through the air that we had stirred up. Our footsteps were the only things that could be heard in the silence. I swept the dust away from the screen of the computer and turned it on. It began to power up as if it were new.

The screen blinked on, allowing me to sift through the files that father had made. Finally finding one labeled "DNA Child Data, Sell" I opened it to find a video waiting for me. My father, much younger than he is now, stood there in his white lab coat reading off the data that he had collected on me. The video then ended and switched to its second part. My father standing there looking haggard and slightly worn out.

"Sell, if you're finding this video it means you've recollected the memories I sealed away for so long. Something must have made you lose your memory. It was the only way for you to regain the memories I made you forget, was if you got them lost and were forced to regain them. It must've been for a good reason."

I and Dra'tor stared at my father, his face drawn in sadness and pain for some reason.

"As my youngest daughter I couldn't help what I've done to you. I only did it to help you live. I wasn't born with the Skeleton gene. We had been told that if we had been possessed our children would have the genes too. It's inaccurate information.

"Only one of your children would but it's a very low number. I did tests on you and your brothers, getting information to place the Skeleton gene within you. Your brothers wouldn't accept but you would. You had the most likely chance of being a Skeletal heir if I had been born with it. When I found this out I was over joyed at the possibilities of your future."

I watched as father began to cry on the recording. His body shaking slightly, nervously looking past the camera.

"I did my testing and soon put the DNA into your body. You were in such pain when you were a baby. Your mother couldn't stand it. She almost left us but I begged her to stay for your sake. It soon ended and you were like nothing ever happened.

"I began to see signs of the Skeleton genes within you at a very early stage. Your motor functions were above average, your speaking, and thoughts also. Everything was above average. I had to put a limit on this, seeing as the Lord's would notice and kill you. It was illegal for doing what I did.

"You're not a pure Skeletal heir but you contain more power than any I've ever seen. I erased your memories, along with memories of you and Hel playing and having early childhood dreams. Your feelings for him at that age were also erased. We had to move from the mansion and live in the town with Lones. He felt it was better this way."

My father lowered his head to wipe his eyes of the tears and try to regain control over himself.

"I raised you to show mercy on the poor and take action at crucial times. I knew when the time came you'd fall back on these skills and apply them."

_'You knew everything that would happen, dad,'_ I thought to myself. _'Just say it.'_

"I'm sorry if you feel like I've lied to you all these years. I did it to protect you. I'm sure you know of Lady Ananon and Lord Hatos. If I calculated your fate and the path you'd take accurately enough you should be our next Lady. I want you to know that it will bring me great joy and pride in your achievement but it will also dishearten me because every day I will think back on what I've done to you and your brothers."

My chest felt tight on the inside. Tears began to roll off my cheeks and fall to the floor. My eyes remained on my father's face.

"There must've been a lot of hardships when you lost your memory. It must've been a great shock for you to recall these memories and question things. Again, I'm sorry. Please find it in yourself to forgive me, my daughter. Please forgive me, Lady Sell."

The video ended with my father looking into the camera with such pain and sorrow that I turned away to look out in the darkened room behind the broken glass. I felt Dra'tor hold me as I cried on his chest.

"Sell, you might be genetically altered but it turned out to be a good thing. What if it had been someone else? History wouldn't be like it is now. You've done more than a natural born heir. Don't let this get to you." He lifted my head up to see my puffed eyes. "You need to hold your head up as you always have and face the evil like before."

I nodded wiping my eyes. "It's just a huge shock though. I never thought dad would do this to us. I thought it had only been Hel. But then again I always have questioned father's way of doing things."

"It'll always be questioned," growled a voice behind us.

Dra'tor and I spun around to see a young man standing there. His eyes illuminated slightly, telling me that he was a werewolf.

"Who are you?"

"You should recognize me, Lady Sell. I'm the one that attacked you the night you and Hel were here," the man said stepping off the last step of the stairs. "It's been some time since then though. You've come a long way."

I straightened at the man. "What brings you here, wolf?"

"I saw you come in and thought I'd come and greet you," he smiled. "No, not really. That's not why I came. There's a greater evil crossing the lands at a fast pace. It flew over this place not too long ago."

"What are you referring too?" Dra'tor asked cocking his head. "Lord Hatos?"

The man shook his head. "Dragons."

I looked at Dra'tor who couldn't believe it either. "Dragons?"

"They all had riders and were carrying huge crates of some sort. I smelled gun powder, one passed so low to the ground I thought it would lose its goods by hitting a tree."

"Which direction were they headed?" I asked in a hard tone.

"Straight towards Minopor." The young man stared at me grimly. "you haven't got much time. They move twice as fast as a Minecraftian runs."

My hands clenched into fists. "We're about to make that possible, no matter how short of time we have."

Dra'tor looked at me questioning. "What's the plan? Teleportation?"

"Everything we can possibly do," I replied and grasped his wrist.

The world was suddenly being sucked into the vast blue that was appearing below us. "Thanks, werewolf."

He watched us teleport away and soon stood there alone. "May Notch be with you all?"


	7. Chapter 7 Dragons and Chaos

Ch.7 Dragons and Chaos

The lord's that had been sent out by Lord Rien arrived in the village that had been utterly destroyed by the dragons and their riders. Reports of rape and death were coming from most of the survivors of the attack. Most of the village had been killed off or taken. The Lord's all met back in a clearing of the village with heavy hearts.

"There's absolutely nothing here that we can do."

"It's pitiful to see all of this though. This is the worst I've ever seen."

"All of the villages that could've helped this place are all destroyed as well."

"Hatos has planned this out very well."

"Hatos! The rat bastard! How I want to ring his neck for all of this!"

"There's no reason to get upset about him when we're on a mission. Calm down. Lady Sell will handle him when the time comes. Just watch."

"Lady Sell is handling a lot herself right now! She's got no memory!"

"Rien said she was working hard to get it back. She's never let us down. She was there to fight Hatos when Rien and Lones were held up by Hatos's evil. She even tried to save a child spirit. Remember her telling us?"

"She's done a lot for our kind and the Minecraftian's. Lady Ananon is proud of her."

"As should we."

The Lord's chatted amongst themselves in a circle, looking about at all of the damage and smoldering houses. It truly was a shame to see such beautiful villages get destroyed.

"If only it had happened to our village. We could rebound quickly and fight back the dragons!"

"We'd be in the same situation as these other people!"

"Let's send word back to Rien and tell him of the damage and such. Where's our messenger?"

"Who was our messenger? I left so quick I wasn't able to hear the name."

"None of us heard the name."

There were sudden explosions happening around the outskirts of the village. The Lord's gathered in a circle tightly looking about for the attacker. The remaining villagers all fled in panic. Some were getting blown sky high.

"We need to aide them!"

"How? There are explosions happening!"

"Go in pairs! Every direction, cover it! Go!"

They each broke into pairs and raced off. It wasn't ten steps when an air raid swooped down and dropped a nuclear bomb that took out the entirety of the village and left a crater all the way to the bedrock. A figure in a hooded cloak stood atop a mountain that overlooked the village a good ways away.

"There won't be any messages back to Lord Rien. He'll be solely in the dark when the attack comes." The figure chuckled and turned away, his cloak being blown by the wind that whipped on the mountainside.

Hel stood on the wall of the fortifications looking out at the distant scenery of the night. He yawned and sighed, leaning on a stone pillar.

"You look tired," spoke a female Minecraftian clad in iron armor. "Did you not sleep?"

"Sleep or not, I'm nocturnal anyways. I could do this job barely trying," muttered Hel propping his head up. "It's just getting boring. I want to go on another adventure with a friend of mine. It's about time."

"Oh," the female said leaning on the pillar with a one block space between them. "That female friend of yours? I haven't seen you and her together for some time. Is everything ok?"

"She had a really bad accident and lost her memory," he replied looking into the distance. "She's working hard to get it back."

"That's so sad," the female said frowning. "The girl that you like has forgotten about you. Well, if she doesn't remember you, can I be the next girl in line?"

Hel turned and stared at her. Part of him wanted to rip her face off and thrown her body over the wall. The other part of him wanted to transform before her and let her freak out. "You are the whore of the wall. Why would I touch something that gets passed around so casually?"

Her face turned into hatred. "What did you just say?"

"Yay," grinned Hel with amusement. "Some excitement."

The female swung her sword at him which he avoided with a swiftness that made her blink twice. She swung again and he appeared next to her to pin her arm against her chest. "I'm out of your league in about everything. It's time you learned to close your legs once in a while. If you were wondering, her name is Sell. She's a way better woman than you, so don't try to compare yourself to her. You'll fail miserably and hard."

Hel pushed the female away roughly. She lost her balance and fell back on the stone floor. A few males on the fortification all turned at the ruckus. "What's going on over there?"

Hel waved to them casually. "Just a little bit of play. Nothing bad."

The males shrugged and went back to their posts, watching out for anything below. He gave a cold glare to the female before turning away and heading on down the wall. The female got to her feet and scrambled away down the ladders to get inside the mercenary hall. Hel sat on the ledge of the wall, slightly annoyed_. 'Geez, women and their issues of being wanted.'_

The wind ruffled his hair slightly. His nose caught a strange scent. He wrinkled his nose at the smell. "The hell is that smell?"

He sniffed the air once more in the direction it came from but saw nothing, heard nothing. Something within him jumped into action mode. "Alert on the wall! Alert on the wall!"

The men on the other parts of the wall turned at his call. "What's going on?"

Then came the sound of death in more than one voice. All men turned to see a fleet of dragons with riders soaring towards them. Hel gawked slightly at them. "Holy shit…"

He jolted himself and snapped at the dazed men. "To your stations! Get the weapons! Move! Move!"

The men jumped and began to run about gathering stuff and calling out attack inside the ramifications. Men and women filed out into the town and out front while others filed up onto the wall. Hel stood atop of a pillar watching the dragons getting closer. The deep roars that came from the dragons began to make some of the guards shake.

"Keep steady!" barked Hel. "Strike their soft area!"

Murmurs of questions began to go around. "Where's their soft area?"

Hel gawked at the men asking questions. No one had known that dragons existed. It was up to him to face the issue. A huge explosion rocked the town. Dust, debris, people, objects, and things that were once used were taken by the blast.

Hel dove onto the battlement covering his head with his hands as chunks of cobblestone, glass, wood, and gravel were thrown. The dragons began to chunk fireballs at them. Hel remained there while the others batted at the fireballs, throwing them back. Some struck buildings making them blow up and burn. Hel looked about at the destruction and saw their weapons shop annihilated. "That was well aimed."

A dragon swooped low for him but missed as its maw snapped air where Hel had dodged. Hel growled and leapt, grabbing the dragon's hind leg, digging his claws into its scales to keep hold. He began to climb the leg of the dragon slowly, pausing when the dragon would wheel around to do more fireballs. Hel made it to the dragon's rear flank and transformed. His maw snapped and growled, making the rider turn around and gasp. "How are you up here?"

Hel gave the rider no time to defend himself from shock. His claws ripped through the riders neck. He grasped the neck of the male and flung him away, watching his body fall into a burning building. The dragon roared and barrel rolled to throw Hel off but Hel hugged the dragons neck for dear life growling. _"You aren't getting rid of me that easily!"_

Hel felt the underside of the dragons neck, where the scales didn't touch one another. One of its soft spots. His claws pierced the thin space that ran along the underside of the neck and sliced. Warm blood began to spill from the great beast, covering Hel's paws. The dragon roared dropping towards the ground at a fast rate.

He leapt off falling through a tree, branches breaking as he struck them and found himself staring up at the hole he had made in the tree. He winced at the pain in his head but forced himself up.

"Hel!" barked Rien running towards him panting. "You ok?"

Hel nodded feeling the cut in the back of his head where he had struck it on the ground. _"I'll be alright."_

Rien and Hel scanned the area around them. Riders and dragons were fighting the towns people roughly. Hel turned to Rien looking grim. _"We might lose this battle."_

Rien shook his head. "The others have been alerted and are coming. Give them time. Let's go!"

Hel nodded following after Rien, finding the group that he had left. Toc, Des, Lones, and Skelar were all back to back fighting dragons and riders while Rayr was a little ways away holding his own. Rien set Hel free and took his place once more in the ring of the group. Hel attacked the nearest Dragon, slicing its neck open with a swift claw and leapt on its rider. Neither had time to react. Rayr made his way to Hel's side and fought together.

The dragons and riders had regrouped, seeing that their numbers were starting to decrease. The town in flames all around. The leader of the group had gotten a slice across his left eye and was bleeding. "What's going on? Why have you all regrouped for?"

"Sir, this town is prepared for us!" panicked a young rider. "They're fighting us! We're being pushed back!"

"Then fight harder!" snapped the leader and mounted his dragon. "We'll take down this town like all the rest!"

Rien led his group forward through the flames and stood a top of the hill that over looked the lower entrance of the town. "If you want to press on then by all means, please do! Fair warning though! You will die!"

The leader and the riders looked up at the fighters on the hill. The leader smirked. "You're sure of yourself! I'll make you eat those words!"

Rien gestured for them to come at them. The leader yelled out pointing his iron sword. "Charge!"

Hel and Rayr crouched waiting for the command. Toc, Des, and Skelar grasped their weapons tightly, turning their knuckles white.

"You've been good friends," Toc said smiling.

"Don't talk like we're going to die," Skelar growled. "We'll live through this."

Rien gave the command. Rayr and Hel leapt snapping, their paws out stretched and claws glistening with blood. Rien leapt forward raising his weapon over his head. "Charge!"

The group surged forward, Skelar, Rien, and Lones transforming into their Skeletal forms. A huge thunderous crack could be heard as the dragons clashed with the Minecraftians and the Skeletal Lord's. A second fleet of dragons appeared on the horizon. The second in command saw that this village was giving them trouble.

"Wave one, head around to the back. We'll catch them unawares. Wave two, take the front and be back up to our leader!"

The two groups of fifty did as they were told and soared away. The second in command flew off with the second group to aid the leader in taking this town over.

"Attack!" bellowed a deep voice from below.

Forty men with bows popped up from the tall grass firing arrows at the dragons. The dragons roared back winging as some of the arrows began to stick in their necks and kill some of the riders.

"Ready!" bellowed the deep voice.

A second wave of archers appeared as the others slinked back to get more arrows ready. The dragons and their riders fought back now, flaming them and firing their fireballs.

"Fire!"

A second volley of arrows struck the fleet as the first volley returned. The voice commanding them once more. The second in command whipped his dragon about. "Take them out!"

The riders began to drop explosives upon the archers who began to flee from the blasts and break up. "Stay together! Remain in groups! Just as we trained!"

The groups disappeared under the tall grass. Their armor disguised as tall grass from head to foot. The fleet circled as their dragons roared out annoyed. The second in command scanned the ground below for a slight twitch in a leaf or a snap of a twig but there were no sounds except for themselves. His eyes narrowed and urged his dragon forward. "Fly! Go! Go!"

The fleet all fly for the town to aide their leader when a volley of arrows appeared on either side of the town, falling straight for them. The second in command had taken two arrows: one in his shoulder while the second was in his chest. He grasped the reigns of his beast and urged it on. "Go!"

The dragon roared spiraling away in smoke and flame. The second group that he had ordered to bomb the town were releasing their bombs. The second in command gasped hearing the familiar whistle as they were being dropped. "Commander Darz!"

The leader looked up at the call and heard the whistle of approaching doom. "Retreat!"

The dragon and the leader took off flying as fast as the great lizard's wings would flap. The second in command brought his dragon into a sharp turn about that made him lurch his wounds. The dragons all took off as best as they could, the whistling growing louder. Lord Rien and Lord Lones both grabbed who they could and teleported away. Lord Rien let the others go and turned to go back for Aumi, Lones tackles him and pins him.

"Are you crazy?"

"Aumi!" Rien yelled out desperately reaching towards the burning town. "No!"

The whistling stopped. There was silence that made everyone have a ring in their ears. A great thunderous roar blasted the air, a great gale of wind that smelled of Napalm, gun powder, fire and other things that burned the nostrils. Rien and the rest all took cover, flattening their bodies on the ground as best as they could.

"Save us!" Screamed Toc facing the ground. "Someone save us! Please?"

A mushroom cloud rose up into the air two hundred or more blocks with fire and ash spreading out and falling back down.

Hel lifted his head with only one request. _"Sell! Sell, save us!_

A great bright light overwhelmed the blast, sucking it within its light before dissipating with a huge thunderous clap. The leader and the rest of the remaining fleet all gawked at what just happened. The town, what was left of it, still remained. There was a huge explosion behind them that shook the ground and debris flew while a giant mushroom cloud filled the air. Rien, Lones and the rest all ducked slightly and turned to see the blast had been teleported behind them.

_"It's a shame that I couldn't come faster. You would've all been dead by now. No one would be crying, no one would be dead, no lives would've been lost, and everything would be fine."_ The voice whispered about the fleet making them look around for the voice.

"Who's there?" barked the leader. "Show yourself!"

_"You aren't pure enough to see me,"_ the voice spat. _"Pray to notch for forgiveness!"_

A hissing sound from the bomb carrier dragons made the riders panic. "The bombs are lit!"

The leader spun about wide eyed. "fly!"

The ones that were close didn't have enough time to get out of the way and were taken by the blast. The leader and his second commander took to the sky, flying above the clouds, well out of the way of the blast radius. Rien and the rest all watched the sky as they saw the sudden chaos erupt from the ranks. What was going on? The dragon fleet leader floated down towards the group that had fought them with an angry sneer. "You've won this round but the next time we meet you won't be so lucky! You won't be able to cry for help and help won't come for any of you!"

The group lays there for a bit more as the remaining fleet fly away as best as they can. Rien turned to Lones in confusion. What had they just witnessed? Rien and the rest got to their feet shakily; having been so close to death. Voices of distraught people began to be heard as screams and cries of pain and help began to fill the air.

"Let's help the ones that need it," Rien ordered turning back to his Minecraftian form. "Hel, Rayr, search for any dragon and rider that's alive. Take them into custody and bring them to the bunker."

Hel and Rayr both nodded and set off to search for any enemy that was alive. Toc and Des knelt with one another in shock. Rien grasped each of their shoulders and gave them a rough squeeze. "Pull yourselves together! We have a job to do."

They both nodded silently and got to their feet to follow their father into the burning remains.

"Keep alert," Lones ordered taking the rear with his son. "The riders might be dismounted and ready to kill."

Lones and Skelar set off for the East part of the town while the others got the other parts of town. Before Lones even touched an injured Minecraftian his son found dragon riders and the dragons as well.

"Dad! Dad, come quick!"

Lones went to his son and found three riders who had serious burns and injuries. The dragons couldn't fly away because of their injured wings. Skelar and Lones were glared and growled at by the dragons who reared up slightly, still having a little fighting spirit in them.

"There's no need for that," mumbled a rider touching his dragon. "Enough, Inath. Let them help us. We've lost to them."

The dragon that he had called Inath snarled, snorting smoke from its nostrils before lowering on its haunches. Lones picked up the rider that had calmed his dragon and an unconscious rider next to him while Skelar got the third.

"What are we to do with the dragons?" Skelar asked as he followed his father to the bunker.

Skelar and Lones looked back to watch the dragons follow them. They were very loyal to their riders it seemed.

"I guess they'll wait outside." Skelar said walking off once more.

Lones places his riders on the far wall of the bunker with Skelar laying his rider down on the floor. The bunker door opens for Los carrying a chest full of inventory. She sets it down heavily with a deep thunk and opens it.

"I've never seen such a battle in all my life! Never! What in hell were you people thinking? I swear! You all don't have a care for your own lives, do you?"

Skelar and his father stepped back so she could work on them. Los might've been a young girl for what she was doing and most people wouldn't believe what she could do but she could really give an injured person an ear full of complaints and pestering. She turned to Lones them with a pouting face. "Where's Sell? I thought she was to return for the war?"

The riders looked at one another. "This isn't the war."

Los paused. "Huh? What do you mean this isn't the war? You all fought like it was!"

The rider that had Inath chuckled and grasped his ribs where he had hurt them. "Child, you know nothing of what you speak. If this were a war it'd be much, much worse."

"There would be more of us than you can shake a stick at," murmured the man lying on the floor. "Our leader underestimated this town. That's all."

"And your leader also left you here to die," Lones spoke up. "He never fought for any of you! He only did what pleased him. How is that a leader?"

The riders that were sitting up glared at him. "Take that back!"

"He won't," Los said as she removed the injured riders' armor. "He's right. How can you call that man a leader when he doesn't fight for any of you? How can you follow him when he only does what he wants?"

The riders didn't have a reply for her. The questions had made them think back. "He fought for us a few times."

"It was only because we couldn't uphold our positions."

"After that he didn't give a damn since our forces are so big now."

"How big are we talking about?" Skelar asked next to his father.

"We have caverns all over that we hide in," the rider of Inath said and coughed. "We have secret organizations and meetings and such."

Skelar and Lones looked at one another. Lones nodded to the men. "Watch them, son. Make sure they don't harm Los. I'm going to report to Rien."

"Ok," Skelar replied with a nod as his scythe appeared within his hand. "I'll make sure no one harms her."

"Oh please," scoffed the young witch. "I can handle myself, you know."

Skelar smiled at her spunk. "I'll be here either way, Los."

Lones left locking the door behind him. He got to the surface and looked about at all of the burning destruction and saw Rien off in the distance. He quickly made his way to the side of Rien. "We have hostages that you asked for."

Rien turned and looked at him seriously for a moment before nodding. "We'll gather everyone once we're done and head down."

A few more hours go by as they searched for the living and the dead. Rayr, Hel, and the others would gather the living into the barracks while the dead would be taken and lined up on the far end of the town and out of sight. Rien stood back looking at the body count. Fifty-six had perished and some hadn't been found at all. Only twenty-two people had survived plus themselves which made twenty- eight. Rien turned and headed towards the bunker with the others in tow.

"We'll handle the survivors when we finish with the enemy."

Los would be making her rounds once finished with the enemy. They descended the hidden stairs that weren't harmed in the bombing or the fire. Rien knocked on the steel door to have Skelar open it for him. Rien strode past to stand before the riders with Lones, Rayr, and Hel standing on either side of him.

"Just to get things clear, I'm not going to kill you guys. If you don't give me what I want to know then you'll have a much bigger problem. Is this understood?"

"Yeah, we'll tell you what you want to know," The rider of Inath said. "Just ask."

Hel stared at the men for a moment before walking off to the side and rested against the wall. Rayr looked at Hel and went off to the side to rest near him. Rien figured it was safe since Hel had gone to the side after looking them over. Los was finishing up on the injuries. She finished knotting a bandage and shut her chest.

"I'll be back in a few hours to administer the potions for you three. You all are very lucky to have survived this fight with only the wounds that you obtained. Go easy for a little."

Los picked up her chest and nodded to Rien before leaving. "I'll go tend to the survivors now as you've asked."

"Thank you," Rien replied and turned back to the riders. "So, why have you been attacking the towns and villages? For what reason? What do they have that you want?"

"Absolutely nothing. They have nothing for us and hold no importance," the rider of Inath said gruffly. "We were ordered to do this by our leader who was ordered by someone we know nothing of, where they came from, or who it could've been."

"We aren't told their identities," muttered the second rider. "All we know is that they wanted each huge town that certain people lived in to be destroyed."

Rien and Lones looked at one another, alarmed. "What people?"

"Some Lord's. They had said that they had backstabbed him and deserved pay back. What better way for that then utter destruction and annihilation?"

"Did we ever get a reply from that group that we sent out?" Rien asked Lones.

"No. nothing came back from them," Lones said scratching his chin. "We had sent them to that town. What was it again?"

"Theron," answered Hel. "Rien had sent them to the capital of the town."

"This is looking like Aeno had something to do with this now," muttered Rien.

"What if it's someone different?" the rider asked. "I heard a man named Socaza was moving about in our fleet somewhere but then again no one that is an outsider is allowed to be in our group. For that matter have or own or even touch a dragon."

"We do know that Hatos will be bringing all of us to the battlefield though," snapped a rider. "Also, Hatos won't be happy with our leader for losing two groups in one place."

"I bet," snorted Hel with a grin.

Rien nodded to the men. "Thank you for the information. We'll let you all rest now. I'll have you three sent to a recovery area once we've sorted out a place."

The riders nodded in understanding. "We apologize for all that we've done."

Hel moved out behind Rien as the others followed after, closing the door. As he left he scanned over the burning town, taking in the devastation. A figure stood father out in black and white. Squinting his eyes to see it better, the smoke that came from the burning debris made it hard to make out who was there. He blinked and saw no one standing there. _'I might be tired from the fighting.'_

It was a few days after the attack happened. Rien and the others had kept busy, building make shift houses and farms to make bread to get by. Aumi had taken cover in the basement of the house when the bombing happened and had kept safe. She was now helping where she could since her pregnancy was in the way. The two riders that hadn't been as badly injured as their friend helped out where they could also.

The talk amongst the townspeople all seemed the same. The group heard the same person that everyone had seen but they hadn't seen this person at all. The descriptions that the Minecraftian's would give were of a woman with long violet hair, wearing a black and white hooded cloak and a scythe, within a orb of fire. Hel, Rayr, Skelar, Rien, and Lones all hear this from people at random times and regroup.

Each one of them staring at each other in silence. "There's no way…"

"You've heard the descriptions," Hel muttered. "Sell came and dealt with the dragons and the riders. She also teleported the nuclear attack away!"

Rien stood there staring at the sky in silence. "She'll be at the war."

Skelar gawked. "How can you be so sure? We saw her with no memory! What if this is her projecting herself?"

Rien and Lones shrugged. "It's too hard to tell. She was good at projecting at an early age."

Lones folded his arms. "Her level of projection was high back then too. It surprised me how long she could be in that form."

Toc wandered up holding bread in his arms. "Have you all heard the rumors about Sell?"

Des walked up with two buckets of milk in each hand. "Tell me that this isn't true, dad. Sell can't be the one that the townspeople saw!"

Rien shrugged. "I don't know. If it was her then this is a sign from her saying that she's working to aide us in any way possible. If this is her projection and she doesn't know it then…"

They all waited for him to finish but he let the sentence die. Hel turned and looked towards the place that he had seen the figure. "It was her. I know Sell wouldn't just stand by and allow her town and loved ones be harmed or be destroyed. It was Sell that saved us."

They stared at him as he had a far off look in his eyes. "How can you be sure?"

"I think I saw her standing in a small clearing of rubble with fire leaping about her staring at us. I'm almost positive that I saw her. The same description and everything. If she got her memory back then this would've been the perfect time for her to test her powers out and get back into the swing of things."

Rien nodded in agreement. "I agree. Whatever she's doing it must be for us, not just for the people."

"The war too," Skelar added.

They stood there thinking of the battle and the things that had happened. It all seemed like a dream for what happened but they had all seen it take place right before their eyes. There was no dream that seemed so real of pain and sorrow. No dream could hold in all of the destruction that had taken place right before their eyes. The townspeople were praying to notch for sending a savior to them.

Rien smiled hearing the prayers of a mother and her child not too far off where her husband had been buried. _'It's just as you predicted, Lady Ananon. Both the living and the dead would praise a savior that walked two worlds at once.'_


	8. Chapter 8 Circle of Darkness

Ch.8 Circle of Darkness

Dra'tor and I have been traveling about, visiting towns and villages near his city. News of nuclear attacks on towns and villages have reached us now. What surprised us the most was that some Minecraftian's had seen me in Minopor. They weren't afraid of me. They were praying to me. I sat in a room of a lodge drinking warm milk and reading the paper. Dra'tor sitting across from me with black pants on and no shirt. He had just woken from sleep not but three minutes ago.

"This is amazing," I muttered folding the paper and giving it to him. "Read the headline."

Dra'tor took the paper with a yawn and opened it. His eyes looked up at me with a look on his face that said he didn't like this. "What are we to do if Hatos reads this?"

"Let him," I said draining the rest of my milk. "I'll welcome the effort he gives in trying to kill me."

"Sell," Dra'tor said with a reprimanding tone. "That's not the way to look at things."

I sighed pushing the chair from the table and standing up. "I know. I'm just playing."

"Too early for that, my dear," he muttered rubbing his eyes. "That teleportation we did wore me out."

"Oh come on," I smiled putting my cup in the sink. "You can't handle two teleportation's?"

He groaned lying back in his chair. "Don't do that to me again. Please?"

"It had to be done," I said washing the cup in water and leaving it there. "We barely made it in time anyways."

We fell into a silence that said how we felt about the shortness of time that I had to work with. We had been lucky that the archers had kept the dragon groups at bay long enough to make the fleet almost get wiped out by their own nuclear attack. "Thank Notch that we have a good communication system."

"It saved you, the town, and the riders by a fraction of a second," muttered Dra'tor staring at the ceiling. "What if we had gotten a second too late?"

I shook my head not wanting to think of that. "Shut up, Dra'tor. I don't want to fathom what could've happened. I'm just glad that I made it in time."

Her memory recalled Hel crying out for her when she arrived. _'Sell! Sell, save us!'_ It wasn't just his plea for saving but it was the lives that were being killed by the fire and destruction. The pleas for help from the townspeople, the cries of the children, the heartbeats of the Minecraftian's that were barely clinging to life. "If it hadn't been for their pleas of help I don't think I could've mustered enough power to teleport that blast away like I did."

Dra'tor sat in his chair and narrowed his eyes. "How in hell did you do that by the way? I've never seen such a thing before!"

I stood there staring at my reflection in the water. "I'm not sure either but I had a teleportation made just for the blast."

Dra'tor stared at my back for a moment thinking about things. "What else happened when you merged with your skeleton side?"

I turned giving him a confused look. "Nothing else I don't think but after I merged I felt something much bigger within me than before. Like the power had jumped."

I wondered what he was thinking staring off into space. "Dra'tor?

Dra'tor flinched and looked at me. "Huh?"

"I was thinking. Since there's still some time before summer can we go about telling the other lords and stuff? See if they want to help us? If we're to defeat Hatos it's going to have to be all the Lord's, not just our band on half of Minecraft."

Dra'tor stood then folding the paper up. "You're right. Since we've been bombed by the dragons our numbers have gone down. We'll have to recruit more."

"You think they'll help us? Not many want to go to war." I walked over to the window that looked out over the village roof tops. "I know I don't want too. Yet I have to go because everyone is depending on me."

"They aren't depending on you fully. They're depending on you to give them strength and hope," Dra'tor said taking my cup from the sink and placing it upside down to dry. "Recruiting takes time and we have a bit to spend before rushing off to fight. Where do you want to go?"

"There are some people here that are a part of us, correct?" I asked looking back at him.

He nodded. "There are several around here."

"Good. We'll start with them," I said and headed off to my room to change clothes.

Dra'tor took up a cloth towel to dry his hands of water. "There's the rumors going about, Sell. Don't make yourself stick out."

"I won't," I replied muffled by the shirt. "Don't make yourself stick out either."

He smiled. "That can be taken-"

"Shut up, pervert!" I barked yanking open my door and putting on my lite coat. "Damn. You and your fucking jokes of pervertedness!"

"Give me some time to change and I'll join up with you," Dra'tor replied heading off to get some more clothes on.

I milled about waiting for him, watching life go on below in the village. Finally I heard the door open and Dra'tor standing in the living room wearing casual clothes and a lite coat of his own. "Ready?"

I nodded and left the room ahead of him. We strode down the street, passing villagers and looking about. Discussing things about the war and ideas. We suddenly caught on that we were being followed. I turned halfway as if something caught my eye to see a handful of men walking after us and stop.

"Who are you?" I asked not making eye contact but could tell by their standing and height that they were all male.

"If you are who we think you are then we are pleased to have finally met you," rasped a voice. "We sent out a letter for you to aide us in a problem."

Dra'tor kept his back to us. His eyes staring out at nothing. "What's the issue?"

"We can't speak here," muttered another male. "They might hear."

"They?" Dra'tor and I asked I the same time.

"Come. We have a better palce to speak of such things," rasped the male at the front and turned, leading the way.

Dra'tor and I followed after cautiously. On edge for anything suspicious. I wondered what it was that they were so worried about to talk in front of us out in the open. Who were these people that the older male spoke of? _'Is it one of us? Are they part of our ranks?'_

We came to a stop outside a hut that was circular. The Lord's opened the door and shuffled inside quietly. I and Dra'tor lit the dark room with fire on our fingertips. The Lord's could sense that we were nervous and alert. I could feel them reading us. I read them right back, making them shiver slightly.

"We're even," muttered the leader facing me. "We're sorry for coming to you like this in such a manner but we had no other choice. It's that bad."

"What's going on?" I asked calmly. "Are you talking about how some of our own have turned against us?"

The Lord's all nodded. "How did you know?"

I recalled the time when I went to the training course with my father, friends, and family. How it almost killed us all when we found out what it truly was. That was when I had first met people that were our own and had backstabbed us. "I knew there had to be more and not just them but I wasn't sure. Now I'm wondering just how many are not on our side like they truly say they are?"

The leader handed me a book that he had made himself. "These names are the ones that are no longer part of our society. They have turned for the worse."

I took the book and flipped through it, Dra'tor over my shoulder scanning it also. "Lord Socaza. His son needs to be added to the book of names also."

"Who's Socaza?" the Lord asked perplexed. "I've been through the registration forms that each Lord had given on their records of members and I never saw any name such as that."

I looked at Dra'tor who seemed bewildered. "But…How can that be? He served Rien for…."

It suddenly dawned on me what was happening all around us. "He's been gathering data on us all. He's tricked Lord's into taking and accepting those that have been suggested or are acquaintances."

The Lord's nodded. "We've had the wool over our eyes for a long time."

"It needs to change," I said in a muttered tone. "A lot of things need to change."

The Lord's looked at me with fearful expressions. "Will you help us?"

"I'll send this out to those that are close to me. I don't need the names of those that have backstabbed us. I can sense them."

The Lord's gawked at me in shocked silence. Dra'tor took the book from my hand. "I'll tell the boy to take it. Roam and search for those that have fallen."

I nodded and left the hut without being noticed by the outside world. A feeling crept across my body that I recognized and began to follow it. I passed the hotel that I and Dra'tor had stayed the night in, a bar, a library and a few houses but the feeling was still out there. I stopped at the end of the town, exhaling through my nose.

A slight wind ruffled my hair as I stared out at the wild scenery before me. _'I wonder how Hel is? How mom and the pregnancy is going? How the town is faring from the attack? I wonder…'_

An odd thought occurred to me. This feeling that I was sensing, it was moving farther and farther. One of the fallen had left the village. A villager was coming in through the gate with a bag on his back loaded with wheat. A trader through the looks of him. "Excuse me. Where's this road go?"

The man looked up with a tired and weary expression. "It forks two hundred blocks from here. The left goes to a town that hasn't been hit by the dragons like the coast had. The right goes to a stronghold area that's guarded by ogres and what have you."

"A stronghold…? What's that?"

The man ducked his head then and bid me farewell. I watched him go in a hurry and wondered what was so bad about telling me what a stronghold was? I put my hands in my pockets and trudged down another gravel road through the village. I took a seat on a bench in a neat and manicured place of the village overlooking a lake that ducks and fish swam in. An occasional turtle would surface to get air before going back under.

It was so peaceful looking at things like this. If it was only for a moment, it was nice. The same feeling that I had felt just a moment ago was faint but it was near. I strode on nearing the otherside of the village. There wasn't one but several of them.

I stood in front of a bay window at a shop where they sat talking amongst one another. I stared at them with no emotion. Just a cold look in my eyes. I lifted a finger and tapped the glass. It shattered across them, stabbing and cutting them. They pushed themselves off the floor in confusion and saw me. The villagers gathered about alarmed by the glass shattering.

"You dare call yourselves Lord's?" I said in a soft tone. My eyes glareing now. "How deceitful of you all."

Each of them thought on ways to fight me. I could see their thoughts running through their eyes as they looked about for anything, at themselves, to their partners.

"So, you've regained your memory? How convenient." A Lord grinned up to me as he slowly stood.

"It is." I said with a slight smile. "I get to pick up where I left off. I also get to do something that I should've been doing ever since I became the new Lady. Killing you all off."

It was within that fraction of a second that our fight surfaced. The villagers screamed running from the explosion that had enveloped us. It wasn't an intentional attack on them, I just wanted to scare them. To save them. It had worked perfectly.

"I see you found them," came the voice of Dra'tor who stepped next to me. "Nice work."

The Lord's, all five, stood there defensively. "Well, well, if it isn't Lord Dra'tor."

Dra'tor fixed them a death gaze, his hands crossed. "Scum bags have no right to call me by name!"

The Lord's chuckled amongst themselves, their eyes flaring with fire and cloaks as black as night covering them. "We have a name."

"What's the name?" I hissed through my teeth.

"We are the Dark Brotherhood," a male said with a small bow. "We are pleased to meet you, Lady Sell. A huge idol of your Lordships."

I stared at them before turning away. "Nice name. Where did your sixth member head off too?"

"A little errand," smiled a male. "We needed to give word on an update."

A great fireball shot from Sell's hand and exploded on the left arm of the male. The male screamed out in pain grasping his missing arm. Dra'tor never flinched at the explosion.

"That update was about Sell being back to normal then?"

The Lord's all glared and growled at us. The leader of them gave a signal, allowing them all to leave and disappear one by one. We stood there alone with him in silence.

"The Dark Lord will reign supreme above all. Don't think you've won."

I stared at him and smiled. "You really are a foolish man to be with Hatos. I'm sure he's told you all sorts of lies."

"Lies or not we will follow the alpha of this life," he replied in a hissed whisper and disappeared.

I stood there in silence with Dra'tor. "Get me the boy."

Dra'tor turned to me as his form turned back to a Minecraftian. "Why? What are you going to do?"

"He's already out running your errands, right?" I asked slowly changing back to normal. "I want to send out a national message to all. All at once."

Dra'tor fixed his hair before turning around. "Come on. I'll call him up for you."

We headed back to the hotel that we were staying at. Sitting about a lobby round table. Dra'tor had summoned Mordan who was stationed in a resting place for the night in some area.

"You called me?" the teen asked flipping his growing hair to the side.

"I want to send out a national message to all," I said folding up a written message on three sheets of paper. "Make copies of these and send them out. This is important for all."

The teen took the papers and placed them in his bag. "I will get this to them all as quick as possible, my Lady!"

I nodded in understanding and watched him disappear back to his resting area. Dra'tor looked to me from his seat at the table. "What did it say?"

"To all that serve the Skeletal race and are a part of it, here me out now. I, Lady Ananon, have come to my senses once more and have seen things that are very problematic for us all. Take fourth the black book of members that you have recorded down and take stock of those that have not been recorded. Background checks are nessicary for those that have not explained themselves. Act now!

"This is important for all! I've seen a breach in our code and whom we allow into our community. This shall be no more! We are being watched and backstabbed by the enemy that are posing as one of us! To all Lord's that lead others as Alpha, take heed in what I am proposing to you now. A war is upon us and we need all that we can use to defeat the Dark Lord!

"You must not be backstabbed like I've been months ago by a dear friend of my father's. We barely managed to get everyone out of the Nether alive, including me. Please take action to protect all that you hold dear! Protect our community!"

I sighed clearing my throat as I folded my arms to my chest. Dra'tor stared at me in silence.

"That was quite a message. You know he'll get a hold of it."

"If he gets a hold of it I really wouldn't give a damn about now. Seriously, Dra'tor. He and I will find one another on the battlefield and it won't be like any other fight you've ever seen." I yawned, tired from yesterday's work and today's surprise. "Be ready for a great war, Dra'tor. It might be our last."

Dra'tor brushed his hair from his eyes. He was in need of a haircut slightly. "Many will die."

I got to my feet. I had already come to that thought some time ago. "They know this. I know this. So do you. Will you fight anyways knowing your fate?"

"You're right about that too," sighed Dra'tor and side glanced me. "I would fight for all that I have trusted all these years. Would you fight for me?"

I chuckled walking to my room. "Need you ask?"

The door shut leaving Dra'tor alone. He smiled closing his eyes with a sigh. "Yeah. I know. You would most definitely fight no matter what the reason."

As the night fell upon the town and all Minecraftians moved indoors to sleep, a hush fell upon the town. The birds finally went quiet, the ducks in their nests, and the sheep laying down with their lambs. The cows all gathered together to keep warm and their calves safely in the middle. Everything was peaceful. Dra'tor sat outside in the small park enjoying the quite night, staring at the marine life in the pond.

It wasn't so bad here_. 'After the war I'm going to come live here. I could live here forever, not having to worry about danger lurking around every corner for me.'_

He rested his head back on the park bench, relaxed and at ease. It had been quite some time since he had been able to really relax like this. "This feels like heaven to me."

There was a distant rumble of what sounded like thunder. The sky was partly cloudy but no storms were coming their way for some time. Dra'tor figured it was a heat storm or something and thought nothing else of it. There was a ripple in the pond. The fish beneath the surface began to stir and swim around agitatedly.

The ground suddenly began to shake making Dra'tor grasp the bench and look about. Thunder that sounded like it was growing louder in the distance began to get worse. Dra'tor stared out in the direction and saw a glowing sky like some sort of large fire was burning. He leapt up and ran to the entrance of the town. Sure enough in the distance there was a raging fire burning.

The town's people began to wake up and look about curiously. Dra'tor called his Nightmare from the depths of the Nether and charged from the town on its back urging it faster_. 'What was going on at this time of night?'_ He wondered as the horse topped a hill and began its descent into a valley. Gravel being slung up behind them from its hooves. It snorted hard, galloping up the hill heading towards the fiery sky.

Dra'tor could hear the shouts from the town behind him. The townspeople were getting stirred up by the sudden fire. In the distance behind him as he stopped the mare from going over the hill he turned back to see riders on horseback heading their direction. He whirled the horse about and urged it on as fast as she could run. He needed to get there before they got there to make sure that it wasn't the doing of the Dark Lord or the dragon riders.

If it had been the dragon riders he would've heard them long before he saw them. The mare cried out shaking her head from him pulling the reigns too tightly. "Sorry," he muttered patting her neck and giving her slack.

She charged on getting closer and closer to the raging fire. There was a whinny that split the air and made his mare shied out of fear. He recognized that horse cry. He hadn't forgotten it ever since he had first seen such a horse and tamed it. The mare topped the small hill and looked down in the valley plains to see a large crater with fire and lava.

The horse that had cried out stood tall staring into the flames, silhouetted. Its rider cloaked in black and white also staring deep into the fire. It was a Nightmare horse. The fastest demonic horse there was. The rider turned its hood towards him and stared him down with blazing eyes.

"Sell, the townspeople are coming. We need to get out of here."

The Nightmare was turned about and urged across the plains. Dra'tor urged the mare after them and followed behind as closely as they could keep up with the Nightmare. Not a moment sooner the townspeople arrived and stared in shock at the large hole in the ground that couldn't have been made by any person. As the town went into an uproar of the surprise that went on smoldering and burning through the night, Sell and Dra'tor left the lands behind them. Moving onto the next town or city that they would happen upon to share the news.

_'It's been two months since the enemy stronghold was destroyed by me. I've now pushed the envelope between me and the Dark Lord. Of course he has many more strongholds around the world but at least I took down at least one that was contributing to his evil deeds. Yes the men I faced that day all died in the explosions. I never let a single one leave and I was happy that they were going to die to my hands._

_'Backstabbers shouldn't be allowed to live but that's going a bit too extreme. Lady Ananon saw what I had to do. She forgave me. With their forgiveness I'll strive further to protect and cleanse the land of evil. With their forgiveness I'll work hard to make the night a better place.'_

Our nightmare horses galloped at the edge of the sea across the beach. Water splashing up about us as we traveled the beaches, keeping off the hills and plains from view. I checked the 17th part of the map and saw that there was a town or two ahead on the Cliffside. We picked our way up the midsized slope and came out on the prairie ground where kids from the town were playing soccer and having fun. The nightmare's snorted liking the look of the tall grass to feed on.

We walked slowly across the land, the kids gazing in awe at our horses. Stepping into the town we were already met by the Lord's that lived there and were called in for a conference. I explained to them what they already knew but also told them of the dark Lord's that had turned to evil. The conference went on like all the others had gone before and we eventually left to travel on.

"Well, that didn't take long," I said quietly as we trotted away from the town.

"Almost too fast," Dra'tor said as he thought.

Movement to his left caught his eye, making him turn his mount slightly. "I think Mordan is approaching quickly. What do you see, Sell?"

I turned also and indeed I did see Mordan on the back of a nightmare. "Where did he get the horse? I thought he was weaker than me and you?"

"He's been working for a good bit," chuckled Dra'tor winking at me and urging his horse across the tall grass to meet him.

I watched from a far a little before kicking my stallion into a run and joining up with them.

Mordan smiled warmly as I approached. "My Lady. You look well."

I shrugged stopping my stallion and letting him graze as we talked. "The same as usual. What's the news?"

"The enemy isn't pleased with the sudden assault," Mordan said, his eyes flashing towards me. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

I shook my head. "Nope! Not a thing."

"They say that two people on horseback rode away from the blast," the teen said fixing his wind swept hair. "They look suspiciously like the two of you."

"Get on with the news, Mordan," Dra'tor said getting impatient.

"Well, we now have one hundred and fifty more fighters on our side."

"No doubt they'll also be a part of the enemy's forces too," I muttered.

"Also your mother had the new baby," Mordan said as his face changed suddenly.

I noticed that he wasn't smiling in any way while telling me. "What's the matter with the new baby?"

"Her name is Sen."

I was still waiting for the reason of his unhappiness. Uneasiness. "Sell and Sen? So?"

"She looks identical to you." He stared hard at me, his face a solid stone look.

"How can she look identical to me? I'm grown." I chuckled leaning back in the chair.

He handed me a picture from his pocket. I took it and looked at the infant. Something in me stirred. I'm not sure what to call it but it wasn't pleasant. Unsettling.

"Why does she resemble me when I was young?"

Dra'tor and the teen remained silent. There was something that hadn't been said.

"He adores her like she were you. Your brothers adore her just as much but they hold you much dearer than the infant." Mordan said softly. "You must meet with the Lady about this further."

I nodded staring into the eyes of the baby in the picture. "Indeed I will."

The meeting between them was short and Mordan accompanied them to a hotel that he had booked a stay in. I stood at the window in my room staring out at the prairie fields full of tall grass. The three nightmare's grazing about one another under the clear night sky. I slowly sat on the bed thinking back to the baby picture. How had Mordan gotten hold of such a picture?

Before I knew it I was in a familiar place. Ahead of me was a floating piece of land with pastel trees and grass with pastel sheep happily jumping about. I strode across the clouds that would support me and stepped on the gentle green grass of the Aether. I gazed about the land and saw a great oak that had been there many years. Possibly forever.

The wind kicked up the tree leaves and made it sway about, creaking and moaning.

"Good evening, Sell!" called out a familiar voice making me turn.

I saw Lady Ananon and her mother Queen Lyrena walking towards me. In the distance behind them stood their home.

"Good evening to the both of you," I said bowing. "I believe we have some business to discuss?"

"Come, my second daughter," spoke Lyrena as her hands gestured to the great pastel oak. "Let us make talk under this tree."

I followed after them with a small smile, striding after them upon the soft pastel grass. Aerwhales whistled above us as they swam overhead, dipping and weaving amongst one another and disappearing behind a cloud bank.

"So, Sell, what brings you here?" Lyrena asked as she settled herself under the oak and leaned against the trunk.

"Sen is my problem. She resembles me in every way," I replied getting serious. "Why is this?"

Lady Ananon's face fell. She turned to her mother who gave her a nod.

"The prophecy could've been upheld by either of you at any time. There was no guarantee that it was to be you. More or less it was to be your sister, naturally."

"Why didn't you tell me this when you appointed me?" I asked looking at them sternly. "Was it still uncertain?"

Queen Lyrena nodded her head. "We knew who the true holder of the prophecy would've been. It would've been Sen, not you. It was a chance we had to take though. The evil was getting worse day by day. You were the only thing on hand we could depend on." She frowned looking at the grass with great sadness.

"There's still your prophecy though, Sell. It's unclear but we get better readings from time to time," Lady Ananon whispered looking up at me with her blue eyes full of hope. "Please, don't give up hope on my status! Little Sen can't hold up what you're holding up right now! She's just an infant!"

I straightened up glaring at them. "She's an infant now but she'll be taking my stead one day! What then?"

"That's yet to be decided," muttered Queen Lyrena who slowly looked at me. "There's something dark foreshadowing your little sister."

I stared at them with a raised brow. "Foreshadowing? Can you explain anymore?"

The two shook their heads. "That is all we can read for now. When the time comes you will receive it yourself. From there, you will walk the true path of your destiny that has been waiting for you to walk for quite some time."

My legs felt weak for a moment. I felt myself falling backwards when hands from behind me caught me gently. I looked up to see Lord's smiling down upon me. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were killed, my Lady."

My mouth fell open in shock as I slowly recognized them all. "No…!"


	9. Chapter 9 War Tactic

Ch.9 War Tactic

Lord Rien tiptoed into his baby daughter's room to find her sleeping in her crib still. "Sen, the morning is passing so quickly. It's about to be mid-day. I swear, you're as bad as your older sister."

Rien picked up the sleeping infant gently, cradling her as she slowly awoke. He took her down stairs to the kitchen to feed her warm milk that Aumi was fixing. Both parents looked after their new daughter with love and joy but Aumi and Rien would always find themselves feeling sad and worried about their older daughter Sell.

_"Sen isn't going to be walking the same path as Sell, right?" Aumi found herself asking Rien one night. It had been twelve weeks since Sen's birth and Rien hadn't returned to lead the other Lords._

_Rien shrugged at the question. "It's up to her on what she wants to do, Aumi. We can't tell her what to do or where to go."_

_Aumi leaned against Rien as they looked out over the village and town. "What does she say about Sen?"_

_Rien heaved a sigh. "I don't hear Lady Ananon's voice any longer. None of us have."_

Aumi stared into her reflection in the water at the bottom of the cauldron. Thinking back on their past conversation there were many unanswered questions in her head that were upsetting her. Why hadn't Lady Ananon spoken to any of the Lord's? It wasn't normal for the spirit to do something like this. She stared out the window in a daze, not hearing one of her sons calling her name.

"Mom? Mom!" Toc barked making his mother jump.

Aumi whirled around looking startled. "Toc!"

"I've been calling your name six times!" he replied. "Hel is looking for dad but can't find him. You know where he went?"

She shook her head. "Have you checked the fields?"

"We've looked all over the farm but we can't find him. I'll tell Hel to have a look about the town." Toc replied walking out the door.

Aumi leaned back on the counter feeling her sadness returning. The thought of the war and her husband and oldest daughter going into it was heart wrenching_. 'War doesn't solve anything! Why do people fall back on such a thing?'_

Toc sprinted off where Hel stood waiting beneath a cluster of houses and their over hangs. The rebuilding process was going but getting materials was the only problem. Toc stopped at the corner of the house panting. "He's not anywhere on the farm or at the house."

Hel looked away with a snort. "Doesn't he know that they need his leadership? Whatever! I'll lead since he's so busy."

Toc frowned at Hel's unhappiness. If only war wasn't coming for them all then maybe Rien would show his face a bit more. It wasn't like him to hide like this. They understood that he was thrilled to be a new father again but which was more important at this moment? "I'll keep searching, Hel. You go to the meeting."

Hel nodded brushing away his long hair and disappeared between the houses. Toc turned away thinking where his dad could've gotten too this early but couldn't think of any place that they had already checked. 'Damn it all! Why does dad have to go out and about like this?'

Hel entered the dim lit meeting room, moving amongst the Lord's and coming up to Lones. "Toc and Des haven't seen Rien. They can't find him. You want to go on with the meeting?"

Lones sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. We can't keep them waiting. This news is important."

Hel nodded and leapt onto the stage taking his place at the podium. "Gentlemen! Take your seats! We need to get started!"

The Lord's quickly went about taking seats and sitting at attention. Ever since Rien had left the position up to Hel and Lones they had been doing as much as they could, taking in news and dispersing it amongst the Lord's. Yet, running Rien's position was not easy and Hel was starting to dislike it more and more. The more news he received the worst he felt about the upcoming war. Ever since Sell left for her training he had been trying to do everything he could to keep himself from thinking about her.

Everything he received in the mail was from her though. Seeing her handwriting and the messages that were being sent from her made him miss her even more. At night he recalls the day of the dragons attack upon the town and how the townspeople saw a figure after the attack, standing in fire and flames. It was a female some say but others say they couldn't make the figure out. To him, he feels that it was her.

She had come to save them knowing just what could happen since none of them were prepaid for the sudden onslaught. He figured taking Rien's position he would be able to see her again but it hadn't come to that. It wouldn't be until the very day of the war would he be able to see her again. He felt like a fool thinking it would be a simple task to see her again. Nothing was ever simple when there was such a heavy burden weighing on them all.

Yet, most of the weight would be on Sell's shoulders.

"Hel, what do you think about the war?" Skelar asked as they stared up in silence at the werewolf.

Hel was brought back by the question and paused. "I think it's going to be pretty bad. Seeing that we're going up against the biggest enemy in Minecraft. There's nothing light about this topic and there's nothing that I can say to make you all feel better about this war. All I can say is that we should be as strong as the person next to you and protect one another like brothers that we are. Prey for our loved ones while they prey in return for us and fight with honor that our previous Lord's handed down to us in their passing."

The Lords agreed in applause at the speech. There was a wise person standing before them doing as much as possible in the place of Lord Rien. To them, it didn't matter if was a werewolf or some unearthly being. He was leading them just as Lord Rien would've.

Rayr walked to the back of the seated Lord's. "What about Sell's message? The turned Lord's? How many have we known about before this? I think we should banish them."

The Lord's agreed and disagreed. Lones and his son both listened to the chatter that was going about. Hel heard every word that was being said and barked out to silence them. "Enough! Silence! This issue is being handled directly by Lady Sell. We will do as she has instructed. We will have the black book and label them. If Lady Sell says otherwise then we will do as we are told but we will not act out of line."

Lones stood walking up onto the stage. "These Lords are going to be standing before us on the battle field. With as much information that they've gathered from us, they deserve the pain that we'll be giving out to them! We shall not fear what was born from us! We shall not fear what was part of us! We shall conquer what we created! We shall conquer what has left and turned its back on us!"

The Lord's applauded in agreement. Hel stops with a cock of his head. Rayr also follows suit and they both look to one another.

"Planes! Get down!"

The Lord's all got to the floor when the ground began to shake from explosions above. Hel, Rayr, Skelar, and Lones made their way out of the hideout and saw bomber planes flying away while dropping thousands of papers down upon the remains of the town. Rayr and Hel both took a paper that floated down to them. In big, bold, black inked letters it read: **"To the citizens of each town or village. I'm writing you today to inform you of a war that will take place very soon. May all Skeletal Beings and heirs gear up and steel themselves for all out bloodshed in the name of these Minecraftian lives that you hold so dearly. Be ready, for your end is coming near."**

Rayr growled ripping the paper up into shreds and throwing it to the ground. "Bastards! Who do they think they are?"

Skelar stared at the paper. "It's a war tactic. He wants us riled up. He's trying to get to us, Rayr."

"It doesn't matter, Skelar!" snapped Rayr. "He's mocking us!"

Hel placed a hand on Rayr's shoulder. "Go home and lay down. I don't need you pissed off in the meeting room."

Rayr growled but cut it off with a snort. "Fine."

They watched him walk off down the gravel path towards Lones and Skelars house. Lones folded the paper, pocketing it in his breast. "If Sell were here she would've given a speech to all Minecraftians and non- minecraftians."

Skelar nodded watching the town's people scurrying about in fear from the bombs that went off outside of town. "What will we do? This was a diplomatic warning."

Hel folded his arms thinking. He cast his gaze about the destroyed town. "Sell will make a triumphant return and all will be green once more. We must stand strong and tall for now, show no fear in our enemy's eyes and take one step after another until we're able to charge together down the hillside."

Lones and Skelar watched Hel turn and head back into the base. Skelar turned to his father with wondering eyes. "Was that a speech or a vision?"

Lones shrugged. "There's too much stuff going on around us right now that I don't know what to think anymore, son."

Skelar stood with his father looking out in the direction that the planes had flown away wondering just how bad all of it would truly be. They returned to the room taking their seats as Hel was just starting to share the news that the enemy had sent them. The Lords were all in a rage, just as Rayr had been. It was a punch aimed at them to get things started.

"Stop it!" barked Hel baring his teeth at them, his eyes turning red with anger. "Enough of this foolish bullshit! Stop getting easily angered!"

The Lord's all snapped back at him, calling out at his tactics for the war.

"No! If it were Rien he would've had us up and gone by now! We would've clobbered them!"

"Lord Rien would've known what to do! Why has he put a dog in charge of us?"

Skelar couldn't stand hearing the words of the Lord's anymore. He leapt up and took Hel's place, shoving him out of the way. "Listen up! The harsh words won't change who's taking Rien's place as of right now! We all know Rien is with his wife and new daughter so why are you thrashing Hel for? He's only doing what he was told! Here, if you're so gung-ho about fighting these bastards take a look at the statistics and such that I've taken on the head count. The ones that have been killed with no notification!"

Skelar had duplicates of the papers appear in the laps of the Lord's. Each one took a paper and was stunned into silence. Fifty or more of them had been killed and that wasn't going to end any time soon.

"Lady Sell is working to stop this just as we're working to prepare to fight this!" Skelar said filling the room with his voice. "She won't be able to truly end this war. She knows this! What she is trying to do is alert and save those that have no knowledge of what's going on. She already destroyed a stronghold that the enemy had made. She's searching for anything that will help us just a tad bit if at all!"

Lones smiled seeing his son stand up for Hel and for Sell. Tempers were high and they needed to be stoked. It was natural for Skeletal Beings to get angered even at the slightest of things. The Lord's all looked up at Skelar with long faces. They hadn't known their friends had perished awhile back. Here they were barking at the ones that had been trying to calm and protect them until the war.

"That bastard. It's his fault."

"Yes. It's his fault."

"I don't care who's fault or who's problem it is right now! What really matters is that our only Lady, the one that is out there right now facing more than we are here, is doing everything she possibly can to reroute the evil that is headed for us." Skelar looked at them all pleadingly. "Please, gentlemen, I beg of you. Our fallen brothers want you all to be fit and ready for whatever is on that field. We will fight for them, our family, loved ones, each other, Lady Ananon, and Lady Sell!"

The Lord's remained silent hating themselves for casting judgment on Hel and Rien. They hadn't been in a war before. Only their past brethren had. They knew nothing about war. If only it would stay that way.


	10. Chapter 10 Enthralling Piracy

Ch.10 Enthralling Piracy

I stared at the Lord's in shock. I had been gone and more than I could imagine had been killed by Hatos. "Who killed you all?"

"My Lady, we do not know. We only know of the great dragons that fell upon us suddenly."

I thought back to all that had been happening. "Yes. I fought them and made them leave. My town was greatly damaged by them."

"I remember something," said a small heir clinging to his father. "A man a bit older than you with a very older man. He was all wrinkly and aged."

The Lord's that were deceased thought hard. "I do remember the younger one."

That was the key to them all. I grasped one of the Lord's cold hands. "Please! Try to think of more! This is the only lead I got!"

"Aeno. That's the only name I heard someone speak before all was gone." The Lord whispered looking grieved. "That's all I know to tell you, Lady Sell."

This helped me out more than he knew. I smiled shaking his hand. "Thank you, Lord. That name actually helps me out a great deal. Now I know where all of this is coming from. Thank you. May you all rest in peace now?"

In a brilliant light the Lord's all turned towards a great door that was starting to open up for them. I walked amongst them smiling, leading them to the beyond. One by one, they went in and disappeared, leaving me there to watch the doors close and the light fade. I turned away to stand next to Lady Ananon and her mother sitting under the pastel tree. My eyes burned with anger.

"It seems you now know your course of action." Ananon said softly looking up to me.

I turned to her with pride and anger that wanted to burst from my chest. "I now know what the Lord's will be facing on the field. I now know what lies ahead of us all."

"Go, Lady Sell. Go now and travel this path that you've discovered. See what truth you can uncover on your way."

I nodded walking away with words of farewell in a muttered voice before disappearing back to the living. I awoke to find myself alone in the hotel. My horse the only one in the field grazing as I looked out the window. I sighed fixing my hair and seeing a note on my dresser. Picking up the paper I saw that it was from Dra'tor.

_"Sell, I'm going to part ways with you to cover more ground. I'll meet back up with you again soon. I've left my helper with you. He went into town for some things. Take care."_

I burned the paper with a quick flame before getting dressed and stepping out of the hotel. I stretched yawning looking about and noticing it was lunch time. I must have been in the Aether for a while.

"Look who's up," spoke a voice behind me.

I turned to see Mordan riding up on horseback. "Mordan. Hows the village?"

He slid off his horse and let it join mine. "Untouched and silent. It seems that the dragons or Hatos haven't traveled this far out yet. I'm sure they'll be here though in time. Possibly."

I nodded folding my arms thinking. "Gather your things. We're heading out. "

"My Lady, You haven't eaten yet." He looked at me with concern at my health.

"It's ok. I woke with anger this afternoon. No hunger for food yet. I'll eat later. For now we need to travel out towards the second mountain range. It will take a while to get too." I started for the hotel while he walked alongside of me. "Dra'tor has gone on ahead and forked. We'll meet back at the next place or so."

Mordan nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'll gather the things up."

After all was said and done we were on our way, trotting through the tall grass of the land and following nothing but deer trails that the people took. At night we would see the Endermen wondering about, destroying the land by taking pieces of the ground and then teleporting away. What they did with the land I wasn't sure of but it couldn't be good. I wondered if they were building another base underground but knew that was impossible. I would sit up at night watching them out of the corner of my eye wondering why Hatos would create these useless beings in the first place if they only took pieces of the land away.

It made no sense to me at all. Were they rejects of some bigger creation? Had his creations gone all wrong or were they supposed to be like this?

"Kind of weird, huh?"

"Yeah," I said turning to Mordan who had put on his jacket for the cool night. "It's not like Hatos to create worthless things."

Mordan looked about at the relatively clear night sky. "Hatos creates things that might have no use but he does have a plan for them. That's for sure."

I snorted shaking my head. "Look at them. They steal pieces of land and then leave to Notch knows where! Where are they placing those pieces of land at? Why? These things are everywhere, Mordan. Caves and in the ruined villages and towns. What is he using them for besides getting land?"

Mordan shook his head not knowing the answer. "Whatever it is it can't be good."

With that said we slept for the remainder of the night and got up early, riding off at the slivers of sunlight in the distance. It was like that at every town and village we came too. The townspeople would complain that their crops were being destroyed, animals being taken, houses being destroyed just by these Endermen. Pulling Mordan aside to eat something and have a break we tried to think of things and reasons why these beings were doing this.

"I'm out of ideas. It's not another stronghold, I know that much."

Mordan sipped his water after finishing his bread. "Sell, what if… No, never mind. It was a stupid idea."

I looked at him expectantly. "Tell me, Lord Mordan. You have my ears."

Mordan chuckled leaning on his knees with his forearms. "What if they're building something? I mean they are taking stone and ground, right?"

I nodded. "I thought that too but why? There's no point."

"There might be a point in Hatos's eyes," he said gesturing with a hand. "Like you said before, you never know with Hatos. He does things for a reason and creates things for a reason. It's all to serve his purpose. Making a place might serve him in some way."

The horses played and romped with one another out in the grass. They chased one another and raced a stretch before turning about sharply and racing back. Somehow, the idea of another island or what not didn't seem to fit Hatos. I shrugged. "We'll have to see, right?"

Mordan nodded. "Right."

We packed up and headed off to meet with Lord Dra'tor who was headed for the desert village. It had almost been another month. The war was getting ever so closer. It disturbed me a bit but I wasn't going to let it get a hold of me. We charged over the steep hillsides of the mountainous land before we noticed a campsite out of a steep cliff. A Nightmare resting with some oats at its feet told me that the rider hadn't been there for long.

"Dra'tor!" I called out hopping off my horse and walking up the hill towards the lighted cave.

A head poked out to look down on us. "He's not here right now but he said he'll be back soon!"

I stopped looking up at the stranger. "Who might you be?"

He stepped out on the ledge of grass. "I'm a shepherd of these hills. I take care of goats and sheep! I was just here to ask if your friend would do us villagers a favor?"

"What sort?" I asked perking up, wondering if it had to do with Hatos.

The shepherd waved us up to him. "I'll tell you when he returns. I don't care to tell it twice."

I nodded understanding. I looked about at the nice piece of area. "Where did Dra'tor go?"

"Down to the falls," the shepherd replied pointing out to our left towards the rocky mountain area. "He went to clean up and such."

I waved a thank you and mounted my horse once more turning him around. "Mordan, wait here while I fetch Dra'tor. Make sure he doesn't take the horses."

Mordan nodded as I urged the Nightmare into a quick trot across the rocky land towards the rough looking mountainside. It didn't take me much effort to find a trail to the falls and follow it to the deep brush that was too thick to go in by horseback. I dismounted and slapped my horse on its hind flank. "Return to Mordan!"

The horse reared slightly, charging away back towards the camp. I checked about me before ducking under a low hanging branch and following the path. Apparently the sheep and goats came here for water it seemed because of faint hoof tracks in the soft soil. Slipping through the trees I slowly made my way to the sound of rushing water. Stepping onto cool sand I found myself standing in a small secluded area with a high waterfall gushing out of a cave at the top of the mountain.

Stepping onto the beach I looked about trying to find Dra'tor but didn't see him anywhere. Had he gone back already?

"So you're back?"

I turned to see Dra'tor with his pants on and wet hair leaning against a tree. "Yeah. Mordan is with the horses talking to that man. How was your trip?"

"Fairly well in some places. The shepherd knows more than he lets on which makes me wonder." Dra'tor folded his arms and gave a hard look towards the waterfall. "What do you think of him?"

I sat down on a large rock thinking about the man. "He seems friendly enough. At least he keeps his animals fed and watered."

Dra'tor chuckled. "How do you know he has animals?"

"tracks led down to the water," I replied. "You must've met at least a goat or a sheep while bathing, correct?"

Dra'tor scratched his cheek. "Maybe."

I giggled crossing my legs waiting for the story. "Go on. Tell me."

He sighed. "The damn goat. I swear… Ok I was relaxing on the edge right? I turn up to stare at the falls and there's a damn goat staring down at me!"

I couldn't help myself and fell off the rock laughing my ass off. Dra'tor laughed a bit with me.

"It startled me so bad I cussed it out and it pulled my hair! It was trying to eat me!"

I continued laughing and I couldn't stop until after a while. I found myself staring up at the afternoon sky with lungs hurting. "I wish I had come earlier. I wanted to see the look on your face."

He scoffed putting a shirt on. "That's great. I'm glad my fright amuses you."

I smiled rolling over and getting to my feet. "Come on. Mordan is waiting for us. As is that man."

We headed back to the cave by foot which wasn't a long walk. As we were climbing back into the mouth of the cave I turned around to look at the landscape. It was a nice stretch of land, mountains and woods with fields for the livestock.

"I worked a long time cutting wood and making those fields for my animals."

"It's really nice," I said smiling. "we have sheep back at home on the farm. Our fields aren't big as those but big enough. You know?"

The shepherd smiled with a nod. "Sheep don't need a lot to be happy but I like to give them space. I think they're happy like that. As are the goats."

A spotted goat bounced across the rocks below. Her little baby following right along, enjoying the adventure. The shepherd smiled watching those head off to the side of the hill to graze. "That one is the most adventurous goat I've had."

"She looks to be a handful," I giggled turning to go inside.

I found a seat next to Mordan who looked content eating some cooked pork. The shepherd took a seat across from us and brought out leather that had ink drawings on it.

"This was a message from one of my friends. This was all I received from the deliverer on horseback."

I took the leather and read the note that had been quickly scrawled out with feather tip and ink. "The pirates returned. They've raided the inside out. Come quick!"

"Inside out?" Dra'tor asked. "What's that mean?"

"They drop from the sky in the middle of the town and spread towards the outside of town. When they drop inside all the people flee outwards. With the enemy outside also no one can escape." The shepherd said. "Even I can't help them. I've asked for others to aide in the raids and save them but no one ever does."

I looked up at Dra'tor who had the same look that I had. It was time for another round of saving people. I had never heard of pirates but I had heard stories about them. "We'll go. You won't have to send anyone else out there."

The shepherd looked at us with surprise. "But you're only travelers. How can you two stop such a large group?"

I was at the mouth of the cave before I could be stopped. "It's what we do when traveling. We're heading towards a war. We're recruiting as many as we can to help us. Don't worry though. We'll help those in need."

Dra'tor and Mordan followed me out where we climbed on our Nightmare's. The shepherd pointed in the direction to go in. "Out that way. It's a desert town. The only one around here for miles."

I nodded a thank you and turned my horse about, kicking him into a trot across the rocky land before hitting the flat lands of the long plains. Riding off in the dark with their Nightmare's fire lighting their way mobs targeted them at an instant but not a single one could touch them. The band of three slowed after their brief stop with the shepherd and found themselves staring at a desert village with pirates coming down upon it.

"Sell," gasped Mordan in shock. "The people don't know!"

"This is the first case that we've had that isn't Hatos related," Dra'tor said pulling his horse up from wanting to rest. "Sell?"

I didn't reply. I was still watching the pirates come down upon the sleeping village. "It'll probably do us no good but all we can do is try." I urged my Nightmare down the slope and kicked it to go faster, hitting the start of the desert in a wave of thrown up sand. I heard the others following after and the familiar noise of an arrow being pulled from a backpack. I turned behind me to see Mordan with his bow out and loaded.

"Just in case things get heated."

"You know they will if it involves Sell," chuckled Dra'tor as he pulled out his iron sword. "Don't get separated! Got that?"

We nodded seeing as Dra'tor had more fighting experience than us when it came to things like this. We plunged through the sand, the horse's hooves striking sandstone roads suddenly and galloped loudly past the houses and straight at the airships. "End this now, pirates! We're here to save these people from you!"

A mangled faced man with a beard looked down at us with confusion. "What in bloody cloudy eyed bats are these people doing? Don't they know anything?"

"Captain, the time schedule will be ruined if they keep this up," a young man said standing next to him. "What will we do?"

"Fire at them. Make them leave!" ordered the captain. "Fire! Fire away!"

"No!" I cried out with my stone sword out. "How dare you hurt these innocent lives! I won't allow you!"

"Sell, stop it! Something's not right!" Dra'tor cried out behind me. "Sell!"

The captains airship began to fly away as some of the other airships flew over dropping bombs down upon us. We galloped apart from one another, heading down streets between houses and running out of sandstone pathways to charge through cool sand once again. I whirled my horse about to check on Dra'tor and Mordan's positions. "Follow them! Mordan, Dra'tor, let's follow!"

They waved to me where they were and galloped with difficulty through the sand. I urged my own horse on and raced across the dunes keeping the tail end of the air ships in my sight. Raising my arm up, I had fire consume it and bent the fire into a orb where I threw it at the end ship, causing a massive explosion. The airship crew panicked, screaming out orders and crying for help. It wasn't really like me to attack from the back but in this situation I had no choice. I wasn't about to let them slip away unnoticed.

"Go faster, Entai! We must catch them!" I ordered the horse who was galloping across the sand as fast as he could.

The captain of the airship pirates looked back to see the flaming airship slowly dropping towards the desert. "What the hell…?"

His co-pilot stepped next to him. "They were attacked by the people on the ground, sir. The young woman threw fire by hand."

The captain snorted. "Impossible. No one can handle fire by hand."

A second explosion was heard and another airship out in the rear was struck by fire. The captain stared unable to do anything. He peered over the side of the airship basket to see the three horse riders chasing after them. "How is this possible? They are keeping up in these dunes with only those horses?"

"They aren't the same people!" cried the co-pilot pointing at them. "Captain! Look!"

The captain looked down but closer and saw that they weren't the same people. They were completely different. The horses were black with raging fire, snorting smoke and turning the sand to glass with each touch. The riders where covered in black with skeleton heads that had ragign fire for eyes. What in hell were they dealing with?

"All airships, fly faster!" bellowed the captain as he turned to the wheel. "Fly faster!"

I grinned hearing him bark those words. "Oh no you don't. I'm not letting you escape! Entai!"

The Nightmare horse cried out lengthening his strides and pushing himself faster. He knew and could feel; he could read all that I wanted. Defeat, giving up, and failure were not an option. We charged faster than Dra'tor and Mordan, passing under the rear of the airship pirates. The airship pirates were beginning to see that we were serious and started to fly faster.

That was fine. We would still follow them. I watched as the rear pirate ship fell to the ground behind us in a fiery explosion. I didn't want to show them too much about me. What I've done to them so far was plenty enough.

I noticed that Dra'tor and Mordan were starting to slow and wondered what was up. I decided to pause on the chase and pulled the reigns to the side, turning Entai towards them. We all slowed to a stop, our horses prancing and panting hard.

"Why did we stop for?" I asked looking at them questioningly. "We almost had them!"

Dra'tor shook his head. "Our horses won't last like that. Those ships are going faster and we would've tired out soon from running as hard as we were." He turned his head to Mordan who was slumped over from the heat. "I believe you'll chase those bastards to the end of the earth. If it's you, you can charge on. Mordan can't stand this heat so well. We'll catch up with you later."

I looked from him to Mordan, unsure if I should leave them or stay. Mordan raised his head with weak flames. "Go, Sell. We'll be fine. Go."

Entai snorted rearing his head in a cry. I finally nodded and turned him about, charging off after the pirates that had become distant specs. "I'll see you there! Wherever that may be!"

Mordan and Dra'tor stared after me. So much will power and determination. Almost too much at times. That was what they liked about her though. It's what pushed them to go on and not quit.

"What will she do to them?" Mordan asked in a wheezing voice.

Dra'tor shrugged. "They're humans. It's not like us to show ourselves to them but ever since Hatos came to our world nothings been the same."

Mordan nodded seeing what he was saying. Ever since Hatos came to the living with his odd creations life had been flipped upside down. "Will we catch up to her again?"

Dra'tor smiled as he shifted back to his human form. "You should know that answer yourself, Mordan. Have we never caught up to her before?"

Mordan let his head fall feeling silly. That had been a stupid question. "Reassurance is nice sometimes though. You know? Like closure or a nice blanket."

The horse turned with Dra'tors signals of the reigns. "Yeah. It is nice. So you're saying Sell is our blanket?"

Mordan followed after him, changing back to his human self and giggling. "Well, not exactly but…," he said trailing off and looking back at the hazy horizon. "She brings closure to those that need it most. She's always been there too. Wasn't Lady ananon like that?"

Dra'tor stared off into the distance while Mordan panted behind. "Yeah. Father and grandfather were always telling me about Lady Ananon. How her death had been a tragic one. It was a great loss but she was a very strong willed woman. She had a say in almost everything and would travel across the world every year to see how people were doing."

He reflected on the stories that he had been told countless times, comparing Sell to Lady Ananon. "Her powers were natural. Sell's are not. They were artificially created."

Mordan froze at hearing that. "W-what? Artificially created? What are you talking about?"

Dra'tor narrowed his eyes recalling the time in her father's old lab. How her father had recorded a message that her older self would see. How he had made predictions on her future. "Her power isn't natural. Her father made it, knowing that there would be evil from Hatos rising up once more. It's going to come to end at some point."

Mordan stared at his horse's mane lost in disbelief and shock. "How can this be? It won't come to an end for some time though. Right? She's going to get rid of Hatos before then, right? Right? Dra'tor…?"

Dra'tor didn't reply. He just trotted on in silence. That was one thing that he didn't want to think about. Her without Skeletal heir powers. Her standing there melting away in the Minecraftian world with the other humans.

How would she cope? Her seeing them going off to fight without her. Who would take her place? Surely not her younger sister. Or would she?

"I don't know, Mordan. I don't know."

The pirate captain checked behind them to see if they were being followed and saw no sight of the odd people on the horses. He smiled feeling better. "How much farther until home?"

"Ten more miles, sir." The co-pilot checked the chart. "We'll be home then. I'm surprised those people let up. They were chasing so seriously back then. I really thought they were going to get us."

The captain waved a hand. "As if! They weren't going to catch us! Those were just some fools that the Minecraftians sent to try and capture us. Yeah, we raid the other towns to make a living but seriously, it's for their own good and ours too."

The co-pilot nodded with a smile. "We made a pretty good haul, right captain?"

"It was decent enough," he replied stretching. "We'll be home before everyone awakes and deposit the loot on each door. They'll be so happy. We'll be the heroes once more."

"You're so cool, captain!" exclaimed the young co-pilot giving him a thumbs up. "Everyone will be so happy again! It's all because of your hard work!"

The captain smiled proudly, puffing his chest out. "You're too kind."

_"As if I'd let you become that person_," hissed a voice in the wind making the co-pilot and the captain jump in surprise. _"You're just a fool that wants attention, bringing more hardships and problems for others! You're not helping anything! You're creating a disaster that will keep reoccurring!"_

The captain grasped the edge of the basket looking pissed. "Who are you? Where are you? Show yourself!"

The wind whistled about them before the captain was blown down by a large gale. He fell down into the basket, taking cover before rising up again. His co-pilot stood there in a frozen state of fear. "What the hell is with you?"

His eyes looked at what he was seeing and saw a woman standing there in a black and white cloak with a scythe laying across her lap as she sat on the edge of the basket. His breath caught when the scythe went to his neck. Her eyes had turned a darker purple, her hair waving behind in a ponytail.

"Such a weak man. It's a shame that I'm the one that has to deal with you. Then again, I'm glad it's me. I can see a face of the Minecraftians that I don't normally see."

"What the hell are you?" the captain asked nervously. "How did you get up here? Where did you come from?"

"What I am is not ordinary. Where I come from is not of this world and how I got up here, I'll just say the wind helped me." I replied with a smile. "Don't tell me you're scared."

The captain and the co-pilot looked at one another before turning back to me. "You're just a kid! Why would we be scared of you? Get that scythe out of my face!"

I started laughing at them and fell back over the edge of the basket. "See you soon!"

They both gasped and peered over the edge, expecting to see her dead but saw no one. "What the hell…? Where did she go?"

The captain and the co-pilot straightened in shock. What had just happened? Had she been a mirage?

"It was just a dream, right?"

"Had to be."

"But we both saw it."

"Funny, huh?"

They stayed like that for a bit longer when the sun began to creep up on the horizon. The captain looked towards it with a bad feeling in his gut. "I think we just met our match."

The co-pilot looked at him oddly. "What do you mean? She was just a kid."

"She wasn't a kid," he said transfixed on the rising sun. "No kid would be that determined and that sure of herself. It's one of those things that can't be explained. I just have this bad feeling about seeing her."

The co-pilot looked out at the horizon not sure if his captain was making this up or wasn't feeling well. He had been spooked by her but was trying to keep a straight face. Was something going to happen to them?


	11. Chapter 11 Desert of Disaster

Ch.11 Desert of Disaster

The airship pirates landed at their home town. The men scurried about placing individual bags of loot at each doorstep and lifting off once more to place the airships in their usual hiding place. The captain strode down the cobblestone pathway towards his home. He unlocked the door and shut it behind him. Leaning against the door in the shade and comfort of his house he could hear the town starting to wake up and find the loot that he had brought back.

He smiled at their happiness. Hearing the joy in their voices. He shuffled to a chair and sank into it, staring at the fireplace that was bare but clean. How he had spent hours making and perfecting it. He sighed leaning his head back on the chair, closing his eyes.

If the town was happy he was happy. Or so he thought. Beyond his sandstone brick house he could hear children laughing, everything was going to be ok for a while. There was stability back in the town again. Six months from now he would have to go back out and raid again but that was fine.

Whatever it took to keep them all happy and going strong. His eyes looked at the portrait of a woman holding a young child, keeping her from moving while the picture was painted. Her caring gentle eyes showing happiness. The child overly happy but showing slight annoyance of wanting to run around and play but couldn't. How he had worked hard painting that portrait of his wife and daughter, the pain it brought him made his chest tighten.

He felt water that was warm running down his face and wiped it away with his arm. He missed them, Sayatia and Nalyia. He got to his feet, walking across the half wooden slabs to the kitchen. Making thunking steps with heavy feet that were once lite. He got a bottle and filled it with water from the sink.

He leaned on the sandstone counter drinking the water, morning light filtering through the small rectangular gaps above him. He placed the bottle on the counter sniffing his nose and making himself clear his head. This was no time to get sad about the past. The front door was suddenly knocked on. He went to the slit windows and saw two of his men standing there.

"What are you two doing this early?" he asked opening his door. "What?"

The two men side glanced one another and looked at the ground, scuffing their shoes in the sand. "Babios and Rodios didn't make it back from the crash. We've sent some searchers to go back for them. They're riding the fastest camels we got."

That was disheartening news for such a morning of happiness to most. Two men who had families and children and wives, were laying in the sand dead some place. All from an attack by three people riding on horseback after them. He thought back to the young girl with the scythe. Where had she gone when she back flipped off the basket?

"Don't tell the families just yet. If they ask, tell them they've gone on a fishing trip. I'll have some men borrow a boat and head out to sea." The captain started to shut the door when one of the men stopped it from closing.

"Sir, what happened? Why did they catch fire?"

He looked up at them with tired eyes. "There were three people on horseback chasing us. The town or the village sent them no doubt. The woman that was in the group flung fire from her hand and attacked their airship. I could do nothing to help them but to make us fly faster."

"A woman that can fling fire by her hands?" the two men questioned looking at one another.

"If you'll both excuse me, I'm tired and I'm going to get some sleep." He shut the door with a rough shove knocking the man off balance and locking the door.

They beat on the door shouting for him to come back. "Jatios! Jatios! Hey, Jatios!"

The other man nudged the one beating on the door. "Come on, Tynios. He's tired. Let the capt'n sleep. Come on."

Tynios protested but was led away reluctantly. Jatios stood in the second floor looking through the wooden shudders, watching them leave. He turned away taking off his leather coat and wool shirt, tossing them on a towel rack in a window that was larger than most. Sinking into the cool bed, shivers went up his spine from the sensation that he got from cool sheets. Laying there on his back and drifting asleep he came to a familiar place and time.

A time that he cherished so much. Back when he grew his hair long and curly with dashing handsome features. How he was a young oil rigger, bent on finding the underground gold. How he wanted to be rich beyond anything else. He made good pay and a decent living doing what he was doing.

How he would spend his nights at a small bar in the middle of the village before it had turned into a town. He and his friends from the oil grounds would drink and sing songs. A beautiful sandy haired woman danced on stage for a bit before coming to bar tend. She was the gem that had wandered into town a few months back. Every man had their eyes on her but Jatios didn't really care for women since all he wanted was money.

That all changed a few months later though. Exactly two months to be exact. They had just struck oil big time. Money was constantly coming in from near and far to get the black gold. Life was really good.

That all changed one night during the months of Hazy Craft in the summer. Yet, it was always summer here in the desert. This night was when a large band of thieves had come into town, all on horseback. They wanted our women and gold. Every man fought for what he had, killing those and getting killed themselves.

I had just gotten off work from the oil rig platform and had just gotten a beer at the bar when there was a large commotion outside on down the street. There was shooting and cries of pain as the commotion got louder and nearer. The men in the bar got up to see what was going on and were shocked by what they saw.

Men hurtled past on horseback yelling out and stabbing those that got in their way. I watched as others prepared themselves to fight as they watched the thieves take their wives and money. I didn't have to worry since I had built an underground bunker. No one really knew where I lived because no one would ever follow me home. All I had on me were a few sticks and a pick axe.

I never carried gold on me. Just enough to buy a beer or two then head home. Thieves walked into the bar with their swords and pistols out, pointing them at all who made a move.

"No one make a move. All we want is your gold and your pretty women."

All eyes looked to one another when the back room door opened and the female dancer, who's name I never learned until later that night, came out with beer in her arms. She froze when seeing the thieves. The thieves however weren't surprised at the sight of her.

"Good afternoon, Sayatia. You're looking better than our boss thought."

Sayatia glared at them. "What are you scumbags doing here? Why did he send you all for? This is a peaceful town! Leave them be!"

It became clear then that she had left her previous life with these fools to live here in peace. She wasn't as clean as she had said previously when she arrived. This was why I hated women and only liked money. Money couldn't lie to you and could be easily made. It was your friend.

I watched as the thieves and Sayatia argue with one another even though it was very one sided. These guys were killers, they didn't give a damn about anything they did or the repercussions that it would have on the innocent lives that were being taken. The men took the beer from her arms and drank them, relaxing in the relatively cool bar while their friends were out killing people and ordering people around. Horses whinnied and some shot past shouting. I remained relaxed in my chair in the corner of the bar sipping my beer as they enjoyed themselves.

Thoughts ran through my mind as my eyes stared them down. As they drank the beer that they hadn't paid for. They laughed at sorry jokes about the town and its people. Enjoying the chaos that they had brought upon the town for the night. How they were taking things that didn't belong to them for free, by orders, by yelling, by force, by using fear.

_'What am I doing?_' My hand grasped the handle of my pick axe until my knuckles turned white. _'What's going on with me?'_ I felt the pick axe's familiar weight get brought up and swiftly flung through the air. _'Stop it! No!'_

"You bastards piss me off!" I heard myself yell

One of the thieves were stabbed right through the head from the pick axe. The other thief stared in shock at what just happened to his friend. He looked up to see a shadow fall over him. The pickaxe yanked from the head of the thief and coming down upon him. His eyes full of fear.

"Go to hell!" I hissed as the pickaxe was brought down.

There were quivering sounds as a person was trying to stifle a cry. I found myself crouching on the body of the thief that I had just killed._ 'Why did I just do that? Why? What was I protecting?'_ My eyes traveled to the bar tender and the dancer. She was frozen from fear at what she had just witnessed. I wanted to tell her I wasn't normally like this. I wasn't a killer. I don't know what came over me.

I stood over the body with cold eyes and pried the axe from the head of the second thief. "Bar the doors and the windows. Duck down behind the counter or get in the back. I don't give a damn what you do, just hide."

Who was this speaking? It didn't sound like me at all. _'I must be drunk. Yeah, that's it, I'm drunk. I think I had one beer too many tonight or the beer affected me more than it usually does.'_ I walked out of the bar staring ahead when a rider was riding full gallop to my left, his sword behind him, ready to swing down. I swung my pickaxe and took him by the throat and off his horse. Blood splattered me as I glanced down at the gurgling thief that had dropped his sword and was weakly grasping the head of my pickaxe, it protruding through his neck. I yanked it out as blood spurted out everywhere in an arch. I strode towards the oil rig platform, grasping a rider less horse and climbed on its back.

I kicked it into high gallop and stormed out of the town to protect what I cared for most. The black gold. The black horse stormed across the sand, it's hooves perfectly suited for this terrain since it was a native of the dunes. My black curly hair flying behind me like the horses mane, wild and free. My eyes burned with anger and a passion that I had never felt before_. 'What's come over me? Why am I killing people? Why?'_ I couldn't comprehend myself at this time. As I galloped towards the oil platform I saw five of the thieves trying to destroy the pumping process. They were taking my love away. They were ruining my love, my passion, what I got up in the mornings for. The pickaxe flew, its head reflecting the afternoon sun, the sand getting splattered with blood as a pained cry split the air.

Dead bodies littered the oil rig as workers had tried in vain to protect the rig from the thieves. The black horse trampled the bodies as it's rider urged it faster, seeing the opportunity to take them by surprise. The black horse leapt through the air, landing on two of the thieves and kicking away a thief that was behind it, making him fly through the air before falling on the ground hard. A hoof print in his face. Blood flying through the air as I yanked the pickaxe from the head of a thief and slaying the others as quickly as I had appeared.

The sounds of retreating horses thundering across the dunes were all the sounds that could be heard besides the cries of wounded Minecraftians. The one thing that was seen before night fell was a lone warrior on horseback, slumped in the saddle with a pickaxe dripping in blood, the horse standing half alert in the sunset on the platform of the rig. Bodies all around them with puddles of blood seeping into the sand.

I was known from then on as Blyk Dythios Brygia, Black Death Bringer.

I gasped sitting up in my bed lightening quick in a cold sweat, breathing hard. I had dreamt of the past again. All the way at the beginning. I got to my feet pushing my black curly hair back that was stuck to my face. My skinned deeply tanned from the sun that beamed down on me. I walked out on my roof where I stood under the small shed that I built.

The grass under my bare feet as I stared out across the town, listening to all the usual noise that went on. I leaned on the post and looked up at the partially clouded sky. How I wished I could've saved you back then. How I wish I could've gotten a medicine to keep you from falling to the sickness that came. _'Sayatia.'_

We were so happy. We had been dating for a few years and had gotten married. Our marriage had lasted for six years. Our fourth year we had a daughter that was just as beautiful as her mother. I smiled thinking back at the memory of the birth.

How me and my wife had been so excited and happy. Watching our daughter Nalyia grow up. Then notch, that cursed God, made a sickness that swept Minecraft by eating chicken or raw beef. There was no medicine to tackle the sickness. My mind recalling the time, our last time being together.

It wasn't long after that my daughter got ill with a sickness that no one knew about. It didn't take her but half a month to pass away before my eyes. Before I knew it I was all alone in a spacious home fit for a family of three or more. On my desk there were plans to expand but remained there gathering dust and getting warped and faded by the sun. All I did was sit about and drink, no will to do anything.

The wind ruffled my hair, blowing it about before dying down again. I can still recall her voice singing her sweet gentle songs while dancing at the bar. Her gentle voice singing their daughter to sleep. I sighed pushing the memories out of my mind and started back for my bedroom when there was banging of a door below. I peered over the edge of my roof to see the same two men from before.

"What do you want now?"

They looked up at me from below. "Captain! We can't –"

The other put a hand over his mouth making him shut up. "May we come in?"

I waved them in and turned away heading down the steps to the living room. We sat staring at one another across the table with water in front of us on the table. "What's going on?" I asked finally.

"Their bodies aren't at the wreck site. There's nothing but charred remains of the airship." They both replied together. "What are we going to do?"

I sat back resting against the long sofa staring out a window. There was nothing else but to tell the families about the wreck. "Tell them that they were eaten by sharks when a bucket of bloody fish were knocked off the ship and they were also knocked off with it when the rigging of the sail came apart."

The two members of his crew stared at him in surprise at the horrific lie. "Sir…"

"It's all we can do. It's more believable than us trying to tell them that their husband and father were part of a raiding group," I said knocking back the water and getting to my feet. "Get to it and don't bother me again."

"What of the other ship that burned? We can't find the bodies that went to that one either," spoke up Tynios still sitting there. "Do we tell the family the same lie too?"

I stood there in annoyance but feeling helpless at the whole situation. "I don't know. Do what you need too without saying the actual truth. That's all."

The two men clenched their fists as they stared at the floor. "What's with you? Why have you turned into this person for?"

I stood in the kitchen staring at my reflection in the sink water. I hardly recognized my own self. I placed the bottle on the counter and rippled the water with the tips of my fingers before turning away. "It's what happens when time took something that was most cherished."

They watched me as I headed up the stairs heavily and finally left leaving me in silence once more.


	12. Chapter 12 Young Girl of Mystery

Ch.12 Young Girl of Mystery

The crackling of a fire, echoed in a tunnel that had been dug by hand for a while. One young man slowly regained consciousness and found himself bandaged from head to toe beneath wool blankets. He touched himself and found that he was sure enough alive. _'How is this possible? I thought I was dead?'_ The man thought to himself looking about. A young woman sat five or six spaces away with her back to him, poking the fire and throwing sticks in to keep it burning.

"You're finally awake. That's good. I thought you were going to die tonight from your injuries. I've healed most of them as best as I could," I said softly looking back over my shoulder. "I'm not that good of a healer but I've done as much as I know to do. How are you feeling?"

He stared at her blinking slowly. "I'm… good?"

I could see he was still slightly muddled from the drugs. I smiled turning back to the fire. "That's good. I'm glad. I'll be taking care of you all for a bit. I hope you don't mind?"

"No. I don't but who are you?" he asked in a soft tone. "Children shouldn't be wandering the desert at night like this."

I poked the fire a little before getting to my feet and turning to him. "I'm just a shepherd of the living, helping those that need help. I'm also a shepherd of the dead that seek to go on to the next life. I'm the bridge to peace for those that live in chaos. I'm Lady Sell." I turned and walked out of the cave softly, picking up my iron sword and shouldering it as I left them there to gather things.

The bandaged pirate blinked trying to process this. "Funny kid. What a sweet heart. Hah." With that he fell back on the soft sandy ground and fell back asleep.

I walked across the sand with sinking feet. Entai nibbled at the dead bushes but never ate them. He snorted smoke, frustrated at the lack of grass here. His ears swiveled at the sound of my footsteps and looked up to see me. He whipped his tail and plodded forward towards me, sniffing. He nickered tugging at my bag that had wheat in it. I chuckled taking out a few stalks and feeding him.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about all that. You worked hard today. Thanks."

He snorted whipping his tail behind him once more. He lipped my cheek gently before taking the wheat from my hand and chewing it while looking out in the horizon. I placed more of the wheat standing up in the sand and stepped away to stare out in the distance where the pirates had gone. It was a good thing I had gone back when I did to rescue the men from the wreckage. They would've burn to death if they had been left alone any longer.

I turned back to the Southeast where I had left Dra'tor and Mordan. I was lucky to find a small hill to camp out in and make makeshift beds for the injured men. Not too far were a few sparse trees to gather wood and I got an idea then. Looking back at the cave I decided to make it look more like a small homestead. I patted Entai and went back into the cave to gather my sword sheath.

Strapping it about me and putting the sword into its holster I took up my bag and headed out towards the sparse trees not but fifty paces or more away. Trudging across the sand quietly and watching the mobs wander aimlessly about with nothing to do I smiled to myself feeling more at home, doing what I loved doing the most. I reached the sparse trees and began to chop them down, gathering enough wood to make what I wanted too. I turned back towards the cave and saw two creepers coming for me.

"Too easy, guys." I said bringing out my sword as one began to hiss and knocked it away fearlessly.

I sprang away running, watching them getting farther and farther behind before they finally gave up and began to go their own ways. I slowed and began to walk the rest of the way. Entai snorted giving a small whinny towards me and stomp a hoof. I sheathed the sword, resting the tool inside the cave. I made a work bench and got to work crafting and building the front of the house.

I worked through the night hammering and chiseling. I was surprised that the men didn't wake up from all of the noise I was making. I put the finishing touch to the build and stepped back to survey my work. It was pleasing enough to make it look like a pleasant house. I had gotten a few tips and tricks when I was helping build back that small village that I had taken shelter in with Skelar and Hel.

I led Entai to the horse stall that I had made for him and the other horses, placing more wheat down. He snorted nudging me before lowering his head and yanking the stalks up from the ground. I stepped out from the horse stall and looked at the other two stalls that I had made for Mordan and Dra'tor's horses, making sure that all was ready before making a door and hammering it into the stone. I sighed tired from the work and went in the small house- like cave, locking the door behind me. "Be on guard, Entai."

The horse nickered back outside. I sat down on the sand that was around the fire and began to nod off. I don't know when I fell asleep but when I woke again I was lying against the cave wall with a blanket covering me and the man that had woken earlier was sitting in front of the fire, poking it. He looked over at me with a smile. "You're awake. That's good. I thought you would sleep through the daylight."

I yawned rubbing my eyes. "Sorry. I meant to keep a night vigil. I guess that didn't work out so well."

"That horse you have is pacing outside the door every so often." The man said tossing the stick into the fire and watching it get enveloped by the flames. "I've seen him kick the hell out of some creepers and send them flying back. Instant death."

I got to my feet going to the oven and pulling out some pork. "Are you hungry? I've got some cooked pork."

The pirate smiled nodding. "Yes, please. I'm starved."

I placed a half slab down in front of him as a table and handed him the pork. "Water?"

He nodded eating the pork. I smiled and filled a bottle of water, handing it to him. He gulped it down and sighed loudly. He hadn't eaten since I had rescued him or drank anything except when I was nursing them back to health, washing the medicine down.

"How old are you?" he asked biting into the pork. "You couldn't be older than sixteen or seventeen."

I sat down in front of the fire resting my chin on my knee. "You're right. I am seventeen. I've seen more than any normal Minecraftian has. I've been places that would blow your mind and I've seen sights and things that would scare you."

The pirate stared at me before starting to laugh. I looked at him funny. Why was he laughing for?

"That's funny! You have quite the imagination!"

I blinked. "Huh?" I sat there confused and it dawned on me that he thought that I was making everything up. "Oh. I see now. Ok."

He nudged me. "Where's your mom and dad, kid? They must be near, right? You couldn't have traveled here by yourself. You called yourself a shepherd." The pirate went back into a fit of laughter and lay back on the sand.

I smiled staring into the fire. "My home is back in Minopor."

The pirate stared at the ceiling with a chuckle and froze. He sat bolt upright in shock at me. "What?!"

There was a knock on the door and a small snort from Entai. It was a friend. I got to my feet and opened the door to see Dra'tor and Mordan standing there. They stepped in without a word and stopped when they saw the pirate sitting at the fire. Dra'tor sat down against the cave wall while Mordan checked on the sleeping men.

"You did very well, Sell."

I nodded shutting the door. "How goes it outside?"

"Hot. No more bodies. That was all of them." Dra'tor mumbled resting against the cool rock. "Did you speak to the captain?"

I nodded taking my seat by the fire. "I gave him word of warning."

The pirate looked from me to them. "What? What did you do to Captain Jatios?"

I shook my head. "I did nothing but give him warning that he would see me again."

"How did he react to that?" Mordan asked looking up from checking the injured and burnt sky pirates. "Hateful?"

I shrugged. "Does it make any difference?"

The pirate that was awake poked the fire more. "So, you came all the way from Minopor but for what reason? What's out in these dunes that you want?"

I sighed. "It's not what's out here in the dunes. It's the ones that live here and on further."

The pirate looked at me funny, like he didn't understand what I had just said. "Who is here that you want? What's on further?"

I got to my feet brushing my butt off before walking towards the door. "I'm going to go get some water."

"Hey, Sell, stay near. I saw a few creepers not too far from here. Be careful," instructed Dra'tor lazily hearing the door shut. He settled back against the rock wall. "She'll be ok."

The pirate looked back at Dra'tor and Mordan. "Am I missing something here? Why won't she answer my questions? Is it a secret?"

Dra'tor opened an eye to look at the pirate. "She has her reasons but I will answer them for her. The reason we're here is to recruit people for a war. The second thing is further out from here and much more beyond is a battle field that is awaiting us. That's why we've been making this large trek."

"For war? Her? But she's only a kid!" the pirate said looking surprised. "How can she fight in a war? I mean, look at her!"

"That's enough, pirate!" snapped Mordan looking angrily at him. "She's strong. Stronger than any of us and even you!"

"Mordan!" Dra'tor growled at the young servant. "Don't speak of what you are not to say!"

Mordan huffed and went back to tending the wounded. Dra'tor and the pirate sat there in silence while Mordan tore strips of cloth to make bandages and apply ointment to the burns. The fire roared lowly and crackled.

"Sell wasn't always like this," Dra'tor said staring into the dancing flames. "When she was just learning and starting out she didn't know what to think but to try and survive out in the wilderness. She met a friend that watched over her and took care of her. He had her back in every way when fighting. He even risked his own life to save hers when she was dying. The death that she experienced was what so many people needed while some had foretold it."

The pirate sat there listening to the story as Dra'tor went through the history that Sell had made. When hearing the things about the young girl, the pirate began to wonder what had changed her than what she had been before.

"While on her adventure she met her enemy, the main person behind all of her grief and pain, the one man that had brought such a burden down upon her. The y met three times. The last time, her life was almost taken from her once again but her will wouldn't allow her to leave like that. Her memory recalled all of the people that she had helped. How they had cried out to her for help."

The pirate sat near the fire with his arms wrapped around his legs transfixed on the story.

"With the last bit of strength she got up and beat him back, his potions all gone from the previous round. She made him flee and release his creations upon the world, to wreak havoc upon us. She trains to this day to become strong and be able to protect all of the people on the battle field that cry out for her strength. That is our Lady." Dra'tor shifted on the wall and closed his eyes to fall asleep.

The pirate sat there in the silence fiddling with the stick. He looked over to the young man that was finishing up his wounded friends. "I'm sorry. I take back what I said earlier."

"What did she say to you?" Mordan mumbled.

"Not much. I thought she was just joking when she said she traveled all the way from Minopor but apparently it's all truth." He put his back to the young man poking the fire and tossing the stick in. "I've never met someone like her before."

Mordan tightened the bandage before sitting by the fire with the pirate. "No one has. That's what people find so interesting about her."

I sat on the top of a sand dune staring out into the desert haze, watching the heat waves dance about in the distance. A shadow fell across me, making me look up to see Entai standing there blocking the sun. "Hey. You have enough food?"

The Nightmare snorted, swishing his tail and looking out at the desert sand. I reached up and patted his front shoulder. "Thanks for everything you do, buddy. I need you to be rested up. We'll be having a long ride out to the village once those men awake and are able to be carried off back to home."

Entai nickered looking back at the small house and snorted shaking his head to make his mane flop about. He pawed the sand gently before slowly sinking into the sand to lie down next to me. I leaned against him resting my head on his neck. What would I do without such a humble beast by my side?

"You remember when you were just a foal?"

Entai snorted nibbling my knee gently. I giggled pushing his head away. "Ok. Ok, so you do. Lucky you. I don't really recall anything but I found a recording of my father from very long ago. Before we left his house and came to the town. I'm not a natural born heir."

Entai remained silent looking out in the distance. As if he was waiting for me to continue.

"I'm upset about it. All these Lord's and heirs think I'm something great but it's actually my sister." I leaned against him staring at the sand. "What if she surpasses me, Entai? What am I to do then? What if she goes to the bad side? What about my abilities that aren't natural? What will become of them?"

Entai snorted angrily and nicked deeply. I watched his ears pin back and he grumbled in his throat. I had angered him. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just afraid that I might let everyone down on the battlefield. Like my abilities will give out on me."

The Nightmare remained silent and slowly looked at me for the longest time. I smiled finally and petted his neck. Somehow, staring into his eyes made me feel better. I got to my feet and headed back towards the house. "Come on. You got resting to do."

The male got to his hooves with a snort and trotted behind me before walking in long strides. I had to admit, he reminded me of a certain werewolf who always followed me about the same way. I reached out behind me, feeling the soft nose of Entai's and scratched it gently, making him shake his head as if I had tickled him. I giggled jogging through the sand with Entai following after. I opened the door to see Dra'tor sound asleep and Mordan talking with the pirate who looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

What had gone on while I was gone?


	13. Chapter 13 The Rough Side

Ch.13 The Rough Side

Everyone within the Skeletal community and brotherhood has been putting in long hours of hard training. Lones hasn't spent any time with his son after the last meeting when the enemy came and sent down warning bombs. Then dispersed letters that rained down upon them. Skelar had left the village and the town to go off and train on his own. Rayr had also left a day after Skelar and they both hadn't returned.

That morning when Lones awoke a letter had been slid under his front door labeled for him. Lones smoothed back his bed hair and opened the letter.

**_Dear father, I'm sorry for not being there in the village to help out. I'm currently training hard to keep up with Sell. I want to be able to arrive on the field and help her without her having to worry about me. Rayr is also with me and is helping me out a great deal. I don't think I could've gotten as far as I have without him. Rayr is concerned about Hel and wants you to check on him since Rayr can't do his duties. He sincerely apologizes for being absent. We'll return the day of the war. Love, Skelar._**

Lones smiled folding the letter back up and placing it in a chest. How his son was like his mother. He gave a small snort upon recalling a distant memory before turning and heading to his room to change.

A sword locks with a scythe. Rayr's arm quivers trying to hold Skelar back. Skelar had kept his Skeletal transformation for an hour now. The longer he kept it the better he'd be but it would cost him afterwards. After each training round Skelar would pass out exhausted.

Rayr had been trying to build up Skelars stamina to keep that from happening. To do this he would make Skelar transform into the Skeletal state repeatedly and fight two rounds. The length of time in each round had been getting longer and longer. His drive was Sell, who was always ahead of him by several steps. He bashed against Rayr's sword, bringing Rayr back to the fight.

_"Hey! Are you even paying attention?!"_

Rayr shoved Skelar back with everything he had. "Yeah. Sorry. Was thinking about something."

The two clashed, sparks flying between them. _"Then get your head in the fight once more! You haven't made an ounce of ground against me!"_

This was true. Rayr hadn't made any ground in the fight. He had lost ground and Skelar was winning by half a third on his side. A male chuckled making them both turn to see Hel leaning on a tree with a book in his hand.

"Having trouble with your own student, Rayr?"

Rayr and Skelar stopped their match to greet him. "Hel, long time no see!"

Hel closed his book and strode towards them. "I've been quite busy. I smelled you coming to Lones house and thought I'd follow you. I see that Skelar is making some big changes."

Skelar collapsed on the ground meeting his limit and changing back to his Minecraftian self. "An hour is all I can get. It frustrates me that Sell can go more than that!"

Hel gave him a small smile crouching in front of him. "Sell has been different ever since she was born. I guess with me pressuring her in her training did a little good but the countless battles and pressure that she got time after time really progressed her to what she is now."

"So I need to go get into battles with the enemy?" Skelar looked up hopeful.

Hel and Rayr shook their heads. "You'd get yourself killed trying to do that. I think with Rayr and I fighting against you, we'll progress you even further?"

Skelar beamed. "Really?!"

Rayr and Hel both exchanged a glance before nodding. As long as Hel had the time to help out any way he could it was fine with him. Seeing how Sell's long time challenger wanted to keep up with her so bad it wouldn't hurt to try. Skelar changed back to his Skeletal form, energized by the sudden turn of events and clashed with both werewolves, the training continued with more pressure.

Des and Toc come walking into the house, sweating and tired from the chores. "Dad? Are you here?"

"Yeah," Rien replied from his study in the back.

The two boys headed back to see their father bent over books and working. "Dad. We were thinking. We want to go fight."

Rien looked at his two sons and shook his head. "Too dangerous. This war won't be a normal one need I remind you?"

"But Sell will be fighting!" Toc barked. "I know she's one of you guys but seriously, we have her back."

"I'll have her back. You two stay with your mother and your little sister." Rien said writing things down in a blank book with his feather and ink. "I'm leaving Hel behind also to provide protection."

Des slammed his fist down on his father's desk angrily. "There's no point if Hel is Sell's guard! Hel won't like being here! Dad!"

Rien put his feather down and leaned back in his chair folding his arms. "Des, Toc, you can't go. You are not strong enough to go."

"That won't matter, Rien," spoke a voice from the doorway making them all turn.

"Los? What are you doing here? No work at your shop?" Rien asked.

"Hardly the point right now, Rien," Los said standing beside the two brothers. "Toc and Des have a place in this war. That is to help me."

Toc and Des looked at their dad hopeful. "Can we?!"

"They don't know a damn thing about potion making!" Rien argued. "How will they be of help?!"

Los smiled waging a finger at him. "That's not the point. I just need them to deliver potions and help the wounded. I can't do that all at once."

"Plus we're fighters!" exclaimed Des. "We can protect the fallen guys and also protect the stand!"

"Plus dad has the underground shelter!" exclaimed Toc.

Los stood there still smiling, seeing Rien had no wiggle room in this. "It seems like everything has been settled. Toc and Des will be working for me on the battlefield."

With that said Los turned and left leaving an overly excited Toc and Des in Rien's office. Rien sighed rubbing his forehead. "Go on. Get out of here. You got your wishes."

The two brothers walk hurriedly out of the office high fiving one another. Rien sighed once more propping his head up on his elbow. "Damn it all."

With one month left looming over everyone, the group starts to remember things about Sell and the other past events that were happier. Toc sits on a fence line with Des staring out at the afternoon sun swinging their legs.

"Remember how Sell used to always whack us with sticks when we weren't expecting it?"

"Yeah and how she used to hide stuff from mom."

The brothers chuckled at the fun times. Whereas in other places Hel and Rayr were watching Skelar sleep.

"If it hadn't been for Sell we wouldn't have met one another. You know?"

Rayr nodded. "She's brought forth a lot of things and helped many people out."

Hel looked up at the faint starts that were starting to just show as the sun set. "She's done almost too much."

Rien looked out the window while holding his baby daughter watching the sky turn dark. "It's only one more month and Sell is still out there doing what she was doing the first time she set out."

Aumi came to stand beside him. "I wish times were better and this evil was gone. I want to see my daughter again."

Rien brought her to him with an arm. "It'll be over. It'll all be over by her hands and her hands alone. You know how she is."

"Which annoys me so much," muttered Aumi burying her face into Rien's shirt. "Why does it have to be her?"

The two stood there in silence as Sen slept on Rien's shoulder. The silence was heard also by Lones who stood against the doorframe of his own house drinking water. His mind went to his son and Rayr who were off training somewhere. _'Sell changed my son in many ways. It's almost like he's an entirely different person from when he left to go on the adventure. It really surprised me how he acted when I met him again. Sell also changed Rayr back then too. Rayr still denies it but it's true.'_

I sat in the small cave poking the fire and sneezed. I rubbed my nose and brushed a few strands of purple hair from my face. The boys all looked at me. "I'm not catching a cold if that's what you're wondering. Ok? I swear."

"I think someone is thinking about you." Mordan murmured with a grin.

I snorted poking the fire. "Shut up. You know not of what you say."

Dra'tor sat at the back of the cave staring out at us. "It's drawing near that time, my Lady. Are we really prepared for what awaits us?"

The cave went silent as each of us waited for someone to say something. I tossed the stick into the fire watching it get taken by the flames. "We're most definitely ready."

I looked up staring back at Dra'tor with eyes flickering from the fire's light. Mordan looked from me to him wondering what was going on between our eye locking. "Can I get into this too?"

Dra'tor smiled and tossed a stick at him. "Get into what? There's nothing going on."

There were moans coming from the other pirates that had been asleep. They had been resting while their wounds healed and it seemed they were finally coming around. The men slowly sat up on their own and looked at us.

"Where am I? Who are ya'll?"

I smiled at them. "Passerby's that saved you from the burning wreckage of your sky ships."

The men looked at one another and seemed to have remembered a little. "Oh. Well then, thank you for saving us."

The pirate that had been awake longer than the others chuckled. "We're very much in their debt. How can we repay you?"

I shook my head saying no to that idea. "No need to repay us. Your happiness and living breath is all that is required."

The men that had woken up were surprised at this. "She talks so elegantly."

"She's an elegant lady," Mordan said stifling a yawn. "Her name is Sell. I'm Mordan and that's Dra'tor."

"We're pleased to see that you all made it through those terrible crashes." Dra'tor said smiling. "It worried Sell when she saw you all with such terrible burns and injuries."

"She sent us to get you two while she got him and made this nice shelter for us all to rest in." Mordan gestured about him before resting on me lastly. "If it weren't for our lady then we would've passed you guys up."

"How are we going to get them back to the town? They're too injured still to walk and ride." Dra'tor asked me leaning forward in his indian style.

"I have been thinking about that," I said poking the fire. "I think I've got a plan but it'll take some time to get done."

"We'll do it," Mordan said as he looked ready for anything.

"I need minecarts and tracks. We're going to cart them all the way there. It'll be faster," I said with a smile.

Dra'tor and Mordan looked to one another. "We're in luck, my Lady. We have a huge mining community. That'll be easy to get carts and track."

I nodded to them. "Do it. Get them. I'll be here with the men feeding them and the like."

Dra'tor and Mordan got to their feet. "We'll be back shortly."

I watched them leave out the door. Entai nickering at them as they teleported home. The men that had just awoken looked about at the lit up cave. "This is quite homely."

"Sell's a pretty good builder for a woman," grinned the pirate that had been awake the longest. "Her cooking is pretty damn good too."

I could tell this would be a night of long chats and made myself comfy by the fire as the pirates recalled things throughout the night. I listened to them but my mind was elsewhere, wondering how my family and the others were doing. Wondering if they had begun rebuilding the town and village or were going to do that after the war.


	14. Chapter 14 Cart,Cart, Away!

Ch.14 Cart, Cart, Away!

All through the night the men talked as I helped them change their bandages, rewrapped them, giving them water and food. The pirates were all at home with me there and didn't mind that it was a slightly small place. It was quite warm while it was dark and cold outside. I finally learned the names of all the men that were with me. There was Tosios, the male that had woken up long before the others.

Vesios, the man that had woken up seconds before his friend Naerios. The fourth man that had been under the rubble of the crash had still not woken up. His name was Loreos. There were four men all together. Two men for each sky balloon.

His injuries were a bit worse than his friends but it wouldn't take him long to recover surely.

"Sell?" Tosios asked making me turn to him. "Where did they go? Wouldn't it take your friends days to go back home?"

I shook my head. "We know a trick to get places in short amounts of time. I can't tell you what that is."

"A little secret holding group? I thought we were the only ones," chuckled Naerios.

"Can you believe this chick is going to a war in another month or so?" Tosios asked his friends gesturing to me.

They both looked at me in shock. "What?! You can't! You're too young!"

"Ah!" exclaimed Tosios holding up a finger. "But she can! She's a commander or something! She's going to be leading the guys to victory against some other people! They've done really bad things to her people over the years and it's been going on before we were even born! Can you believe that?!"

Vesios spat. "Absolutely not! They can't allow such a young girl to go to war and fight!"

Tosios winked to me with a grin. "She seems to be one hell of a fighter though. Her friends told me all these fights that she's been in and won and almost died."

"I did die in one but I returned and almost won if he hadn't run away. I had to get my father up off the floor and get him back home before he died." I stared at the fire recalling that time. "I'll be meeting that same enemy on the battlefield that we're going too."

Ah," said Vesios nodding his head. "It's going to come to a close then?"

"Dear Notch I hope so," I said poking the fire and making sparks shoot up. "I'd hate for it to continue on again. I'd sleep better at night if he were dead."

There was a chuckle that started to grow. I figured it was one of the guys but they had all turned around to look back at their friend. "Loreos!"

The man named Loreos opened his right eye that wasn't covered by bandages. "War, huh? That's a fun topic."

I paid no mind to the man's ramblings. I looked out the door window to see that stars twinkling.

"I was preparing for a war before I decided to not do it and left in the dead of night." Loreos said as he coughed and sighed staring at the ceiling. "There was an underground bunker a couple thousand blocks from here near a village that was easy going."

No one saw my movements as I was suddenly holding my scythe, wearing my cloak and staring at the guy with steeled eyes, my scythe blade at his throat. "Who were you working for?"

Loreos stared at me with his one eye. "Well, well, if it isn't Lady Sell! I wasn't sure if that was you or not."

We stared at one another for a moment. The other men in shock at my transformation.

"You know I can kick this wound easy," Loreos said quietly.

"Why don't you?" I asked as the fire light reflected off the blade of my scythe. "I can cut you down right here right now as I did to the underground stronghold."

"You destroyed it?" he rasped looking at me in surprise.

"Killed every person there. Went up in a huge blazing ball of fire and lava." I smirked down at him. "It was a beautiful sight. Wish you could've seen it."

Loreos laid there regaining himself once more. "I guess I can relax now. I don't have to worry about being chased down."

I figured if Loreos had wanted to attack me he would've done it by now like he had said before. I put away my scythe and sat down, my cloak disappearing from around me. "You heading back to that village that the pirate captain went too?"

"Yeah," Loreos muttered. "I got a small house and a plot of land. Nice place the desert is."

"When you can tap into a water pocket," snorted one of the men. It was Vesios. "The desert isn't as harsh then."

The room went silent and uneasy. It was my fault. I had caused tension in the air. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I'm on edge quite a bit."

"That's understandable," Loreos spoke gently. "You're very focused on fighting Hatos than anything else and defending your people to the fullest. I can understand that."

"So, this Hatos guy. He's pretty bad?" asked Vesios looking at the two of us.

"He's killed many of my kind. Started a very long time ago across the sea on an island called Aquica Atlias. It was owned by a family of royal lineage, the Ravendon lineage. That's where our first Lady of our kind was born. She is connected to this man Hatos personally." I stared into the fire as my memory went back to the life story that Lady Ananon had told me through her memories. "She died fighting him a second time. We really aren't sure if it was a set up or if she lost for real. Before she went to fight him she foretold of a prophecy that would come true in time but it was…," I paused trying to find the right words to explain it. "It was limited."

The men sat there listening, including Loreos. I sighed closing my eyes resting my forehead on my knee. "I'm not the one it foretold. It was talking about my younger sister, Sen. Yet I was born before her and I have the abilities and power that it spoke of. Yet it's all at a cost."

My right hand clenched the left side of my shirt just over my heart. Loreos sat there in shocked silence as it all dawned on him. "You weren't a natural born then?"

"My father gave me the abilities through a series of tests that he had done on different types of beings. Taking the DNA from each and doing different things. Eventually he took the DNA from the flame wraith somehow and transferred it into me. It'll leave me soon but we aren't sure when." I raised my head to look towards him with a straight face. "I'm praying that it doesn't happen on the battlefield when I'm facing Hatos."

Loreos nodded feeling dread. "My Lady, I've been wanting to explain something to you for some time now before I was taken by Lord Hatos."

"What is it, Loreos? Your Lady is listening." I said gently sitting up straight.

Loreos fidgeted slightly unsure if he was ready to say what he was to say to me. "There is a band of men living under the desert. They specialize in DNA reconstruction but are Lord's protecting the innocent out here."

I sat there with no emotions showing. It still surprised me how Lord's that were living the life like myself, my friends and family, and most of the others yet were scared of Lord Hatos and hid from him. Yet, then again, what they were doing was illegal as well. What I was, it was illegal yet it was needed more than anything. "I understand. What are you trying to say?"

"They want you to pass a law about DNA reconstruction and creation," Loreos said after a moment of hesitation. "Your voice and your words are held higher than your father's. It's almost held up like Notch."

That was true. How all this came to be in such a short time was still mind blowing. I rested my chin on my hand thinking this over. I had never thought of DNA and reconstruction before to the fullest. I had never thought of myself or what it took for me to attain the abilities that I had gotten through it all.

I had never considered how my father gained the knowledge to transform an infant into a powerful being just through some tests. I had never thought of anything like this before until now. I looked over at the flames that were flickering from the fire. I wasn't sure on how to go about this. What was I to say on the decree?

"Let me meet these people. It'll be soon. We're heading that direction in a little while." I looked from the fire to Loreos.

He nodded with a smile. "Thank you, my Lady! I shall tell them when I get back!"

I stopped then and raised my head. "Loreos."

He looked to me questioningly. "Ma'am?"

"Is there any chance that you could leave now and ask them if they would help us in the war? Fight with us? We would appreciate the help."

Loreos nodded slowly but I could see the answer in his eyes. Loreos slowly got to his feet wincing slightly at the pain. He hobbled towards the door. "I'll be back in a moment."

I leapt to my feet grabbing his arm gently. "Wait. I want to go with you. It'll be faster than them waiting on me."

Loreos's face looked uncertain for a moment. "Very well then. What of them?"

I looked back at the other three men who watched us wondering what we were talking about and doing. Just then the door opened as Mordan and Dra'tor stepped in carrying two chests and bulging bags on their backs. I smiled warmly. "Welcome back! I and Loreos here have some plans."

Dra'tor and Mordan placed their things to the side turning back to us. "What's going on?"

I explained to them how Loreos was connected to us from the start. How he knew where a group was that lived underground in the desert.

"I'm going there to meet them."

Dra'tor leaned against the wall with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I know you can handle yourself alone. But, if things turn for the worst you know how to call me and Mordan."

I nodded to them. "Start placing the track towards the way the pirates went. I'll be back in just a bit." I ordered walking out the door ahead of Loreos.

"The village lies deep in the sand dunes that have been reinforced with stone to keep the dunes from giving them a sand slide when it's windy," Loreos instructed them. "Head out towards the northwest. They'll be there but be careful. They have people disguised as sand to watch the entrance of the dunes."

Mordan and Dra'tor looked to one another before nodding to Loreos. "Who knew a new friend could be found in these dark times? Thank you."

Loreos nodded to them before limping after me. I got atop of Entai who whinnied slightly at me, getting excited on going someplace else. I helped Loreos up behind me and prodded Entai off through the sand in the direction that Loreos told me to go. Dra'tor and Mordan watched us go before pulling out track and other equipment that they would need to get the men back to town.

"We'll go in shifts?" Mordan offered.

"Nah. Let's get this done together. It'll go faster." Dra'tor replied heading towards the door.

"We'll be resting up in here," Vesios said smiling. "I'm ready to get home to my family. We'll need all the strength we can get to make this trip. Right?"

Dra'tor chuckled. "You'll have it easy. We're the ones who have to do all the work."

The three men chuckled waving them off as Mordan and Dra'tor left.

Vesios turned to the other two. "I'm excited. Aren't ya'll?"

"Get some sleep." Tosios said lying down.

Vesios settled down smiling. He had been dreaming of home for quite some time while being in the shelter that Sell had made. He couldn't help himself.

Entai thundered across the sand dunes at a rapid pace. Bits of glass that he had created from the fire around his hooves flew up behind him. He stretched his legs farther apart, loving the wind, his speed, and the feeling of running. He tossed his head letting his fiery mane get whipped by the wind and let out a whinny. Loreos clung to me with surprise across his face at the steed's speed. "This is amazing! This is my first time on the back of a Nightmare!"

I turned my head over my shoulder smiling. "Fast, huh?"

"So fast!" he exclaimed to me. "We shouldn't be far from them now."

I turned back ahead looking about the desert for the signs that Loreos told me about. In the heat waves ahead I saw a disfigured monument. It was the water well that he had told me about. I looked back over my shoulder. "I see the well!"

"We're there!" he said smiling happily. "You'll really like these guys, my Lady! They're so nice!"

Entai lengthened his strides, pushing himself faster towards the well snorting smoke. The well was clear in our sights now getting closer with each gallop. At last we were upon it and Entai slid to a halt in the sand prancing about while I slid off his back and helped down Loreos. Loreos climbed over the well wall and slid into the water, sinking down into the water. I watched him go into the dimly lit water and looked over to Entai who snorted, breathing hard from the run but happy enough to be doing something. I patted his long muzzle. "Guard the well. I'll be back in a moment. Ok?"

Entai snorted nuzzling into my face before I turned away and slipped into the water feet first and sunk beneath the water. The light from above getting dimmer with each block I sunk down. A sign was placed every nine blocks where I could get air before sinking down another nine blocks. Before seeing that I had arrive at the bottom and a doorway that fed into a large square room met my eyes as I stepped from the water that was held back by a sign on the wall to my left . I looked about searching for Loreos wondering where he had hobbled off too.

"Loreos?" I asked out walking towards the other doorway that was across the room.

I heard voices from ahead of me in the other room arguing. I wondered what the argument was about and crept towards the room. Looking in I saw several men all dressed as a person who lived in the desert would have on. Ragged clothes that had been roughly sewed up or wrapped about them.

"She's here!" exclaimed Loreos to them. "I swear!"

"Lady Sell has lost her memory!" argued a male in a faint blue ragged jacket and pants. "Stop telling us she's regained her memory!"

I stepped in clearing my throat making all the men turn towards me. Their faces going white. "Lady Sell!"

"I'm back to rescue those that I have put into peril. I have a proposition for you all." I said standing there in the doorway of the odd looking room.

Mordan panted in the dim sunlight of the noon sun as it was just starting to sin behind the dunes. He had just placed down the final piece of track on his end. Dra'tor had been going back down the track placing redstone powered tracks to speed up the carts that would be going down the tracks. He looked towards village that wasn't far off. He had already seen the guards that were laying in wait.

They weren't hard to find. He looked off back towards the way he had come. "Tell your leader that the men will return shortly! Our Lady will be escorting them back! Have no fear! We're only returning what belongs to you!"

With that he walked down the tracks back towards the shelter. The men that were hidden signaled to one another. It was time to have a meeting. They popped up from the sand and sprinted back towards the village and out of sight behind low lying dunes. Mordan met back up with Dra'tor as he finished rigging up the redstone for the tracks.

"You tell them?" Dra'tor asked as he panted looking down the track that Mordan had come from.

Mordan nodded. "They know."

"Let's hope that Sell gets back soon." Dra'tor said walking towards the campsite. "This won't go down so well if she doesn't make it back in time."

"You don't have to tell me about it," grumbled Mordan wanting to get back into the shade and cool of the small cave.

The men that were friends of Loreos stared at me. They each looked at one another with uncertainty. They wondered what I was going to say to them.

"He brought you here to accept the possibilities of DNA testing. Not to fight."

I nodded. "That he did. I'm one of the testing subjects. My father created me. There is no harm in DNA testing as long as you know what you're doing and only doing it for good. I'll uphold it to the fullest."

The men thought this over for a moment. "You agree with our methods?"

"It's safe, right?" I asked taking a step or two towards them.

They nodded looking back at me seriously. I held open my arms in a gesture that they could read easily. "I see no harm. If you break the code that I'm going to be laying out soon then I will tear down all of your structures and destroy all of your creations. Understood?"

They all nodded. "Yes, ma'am!"

I turned away heading back towards the water chute. "After the war, look for a very important bulletin on this subject."

With that said I surged up through the water chute and out of sight. My head popped up from the water to gulp in air. Entai reared up from surprise and landed heavily onto the sand, pawing the sand with his hoof as he snorted. I climbed out from the well and into his saddle. "Let's go!"

The Nightmare reared again to surge forward and charge across the sand back towards the shelter. I let him run as fast as he wanted. Glass forming beneath him and being shattered by his rear hooves as he pounded across the sand, glass shards flying up behind us. I could see Dra'tor and Mordan just returning to the shelter.

"Guys! Get the men!" I shouted out across the sand as Entai became closer each second.

Dra'tor and Mordan hurried inside leaving the door open as Entai slid to a halt outside the shelter and pranced about snorting from the excitement. I leapt from the saddle and helped the three men that were remaining to the start of the minecarts that had been set up. I called Entai over to me taking rope from his saddle bag and tieing him to the cart. Dra'tor and Mordan placed their men into a cart and got their horses tied up to their own carts.

"What about the stuff?" Vesios asked looking back at the shelter.

"We're not yet done packing," Dra'tor said tightening his saddle about his Nightmare. "We'll get it in just a moment. Don't worry."

"So we're just going to sit under the hot sun?" asked Tosios.

"I think we'll be ok for a little," piped up Naerios who hadn't said much at all. "Take your time."

The three men all sat there for a moment while we packed up all that we needed. The saddle bags and backpacks all loaded and full, we were ready. We mounted our Nightmare's and all checked each other.

"Are we all ready?" I asked looking back at them all.

Each gave me a head nod. Entai snorted pawing the sand, impatient to go. I smiled taking up his reigns. "We'll be going at a fast pace so please keep all hands and feet inside the carts at all times. Thank you for carting with us and try to enjoy the ride."

I urged Entai to head out trotting to make sure everything was lining up well and had him go faster gradually before we found ourselves rocketing down the rails with Dra'tor and Mordan evenly spaced and following after. The three men had never experienced the kind of transportation that we were doing. It was much faster than just going on powered rails. Entai sped up the pace making all the rest lengthen their strides. The wind whipping about us in a deafening sound.

"This is great!" shouted Tosios gripping his knees tightly. "I've never felt such wind before!"

"Hot air balloons can go suck it!" laughed Naerios holding his arms up enjoying the thrilling ride.

We thundered through the village entrance with the carts gliding across the melted sand as if it were ice before we gradually began to slow and come to a halt. The carts stopping at the sides of the Nightmare's. The villagers stared at us in complete shock at the disturbance. One of the villagers cried out.

"Husband!"

I saw a young woman with brown hair running over to Tosios's cart and wrapping him into a great hug which he accepted and hugged her back just as tightly. "Wife!"

Within seconds of their greetings we watched as two other women ran towards us screaming to their men in the carts, happy to have them back. Children also ran up to greet their missing family member. A village elder strode towards the front of the crowd that had gathered.

"We welcome home our missing men and we give a great thank you to the people that have returned them! We have searched the sands for days now trying to find them but had no luck! We now see that you have rescued them long before we knew of them being out there and have taken good care of their injuries!"

Entai snorted as we bowed our heads in return to the thank you. "You're very welcome. It was no trouble. We just wanted to reunite those with their loved ones. It's our mission in life."

"Please stay the night or two and rest. I'm sure you had a hard time getting these carts across the sand?" the old man asked.

I smiled down at him as I dismounted. "Thank you, elder. We will very much like to stay the night. We have business to attend here with someone that lives amongst you all."

The old man was intrigued by this. "Who would that be?"

"The captain," Tosios said amongst his family.

The old man furrowed his brow wondering who exactly he was referring too.

"Jatios," spoke up Naerios. "She wants to speak with him."

"And I am here," said a voice darkly from within the crowd.

I turned to see a man step from the crowd wearing desert clothing that was dull and sun bleached. "Yes you are. I told you I'd return to meet you again. Did I not?"

"Thank you for bringing me my men. It's helped me out so much. Now you can go," Jatios said looking at me sternly.

"I'm not going anywhere. These people don't know what you do to make their living easy." I took a step towards him seeing his eyes change.

The people looked from me to Jatios wondering what exactly we were talking about. He scowled at me feeling all the eyes looking towards us. "I knew it. You were hired by that damn town!"

I gave a chuckle folding my arms. "Hardly. I'm not paid nor do I ask for it anywhere I go. I live off the land entirely. I only go on hospitality when it's given and return it as well."

"What are they talking about, dad?" asked the son that stood next to Vesios's cart.

"I'm talking about Jatios. He has men that ride in pirate air ships late in the night and steal from other towns and villages." I announced loudly so all the people could hear. "These men that say they are so honest folk and say things like love and peace are lying to you. They don't harm but they take the money that others make or have made and tear away into the night. Placing bags at your doorsteps and sleeping for a few hours to awake and act surprised!"

The wives of the men and the people that weren't a part of it all looked in shock. Jatios closed his eyes as anger washed over him. "Why did you come here? To bring shame upon us all?!"

I smiled taking the reins of Entai. "No. I came to fix the wrong and make it right. You didn't get permission."

I pulled myself back into the saddle dropping the rope that I had tied on the saddle horn and had Entai force a path through the people. "We will be staying a night, elder. To rest our horses and get a bite. Next morning we will be leaving."

The village elder turned towards us as we passed through the people. "I thank you, young one. You have lifted the wool that had our eyes covered. We shall have a feast!"

I turned Entai about before anyone could rejoice. "No! No feast. No parties. We don't need that. Just a simple meal and some rest is all we ask."

The elder closed his eyes at the request then. "Very well. I will have rooms prepared for you and stables opened for your horses."

I nodded with a smile. "Good. Very good."


	15. Chapter 15 Captain,Elder and Ale

Ch.15 Captain, Elder, and a bottle of Ale

It was around the early night when the elder decided to finally go talk to Jatios face to face about all that was said. He shuffled from the lower part of his house and outside. Looking down the street he saw little activity. The Elder sighed, enjoying the silent village before shuffling away across the sandstone pathway. The visitors from earlier gave him a strange feeling inside.

Something that he had forgotten from long ago. _ 'It's such a troublesome thing to have lost bits and pieces of my memory from so long ago. I wish I could remember what exactly that I'm feeling right now. It's so close.'_

The Elder shuffled quietly to the doorstep of Jatios's house and knocked on the door. The front door opened after a moment with Jatios standing there holding a bottle of unopened ale. "Elder. What brings you?"

The Elder smiled. "I wanted to talk to you, Jatios. Is that ok?"

Jatios stepped back for him to enter. The Elder shuffled in and Jatios shut the door behind him. He grabbed two glass from the kitchen. Turning around he didn't see the Elder anymore. A floorboard from above creaked. _'Why is he upstairs for? That's my room. Is he trying to find something?'_

Jatios hurried up the stairs to see the Elder standing out on his balcony. "Elder?"

"I'm sorry, Jatios. I was just remembering when your wife used to stand right here and stare up at the moon." The Elder looked back at him somberly. "I'm sure you think about that stuff every night."

Jatios placed the glasses and the bottle down on a table. "I do. I get drunk every night to forget as well."

"Does it help?" the Elder asked.

Jatios sat down in a chair near the table. "You know the answer to that question, sir. You know a lot about everyone. You know what they're going through every day. How you know this baffles me but you do."

The Elder smiled shuffling over to him to take a seat. "It sometimes baffles me too. Call it a gift or something. I guess I was put on the world to help those with their problems. Hmm?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Elder," Jatios said softly opening the ale and pouring them a glass of the dark liquid. "You ever get your memory back?"

The Elder shook his head taking the glass. "No. Something is stirring within me though. It happened when I met that young girl. Something about her makes me burn inside. I don't understand it."

Jatios chuckled hovering over his ale. "Sir, do you like young girls?"

The Elder's face went into shock. "Absolutely not! Jatios!"

The man burst into laughter at the prying question. "Easy. I was just joking."

The Elder downed the ale and sighed placing the glass down. "You youngsters are the death of me! Look at you! The things I put up with from you all and all you ever do is joke about it!"

Jatios could tell he wasn't lecturing him or giving him stern advice. He was in a playful mood tonight. "We don't know how to act sometimes I guess."

The two men sat there in silence for a moment before they began to share a laugh about what was said. Jatios watched the old man get up and shuffle towards the balcony. "Do you ever wish you could remember again?"

The old man nodded. "I do. I wish I had tried harder to regain my memory from long ago. It doesn't make sense why It hasn't returned."

"Why was it the young girl to stir something within your mind?" Jatios asked getting to his feet. "What about her made you want to remember?"

The Elder stared up at the moon that was rising. His eyes reflecting its coloration. "Her voice. How she sat on the back of that horse. The horse itself. Everything about her basically. Her and her friends."

"Do you know her from long ago?" Jatios asked leaning on the fence of the balcony.

"I don't know her at all. That's the thing I don't understand." The Elder said looking down at the village. "Also what I don't understand is what you've been doing."

Jatios stared up at the sky watching the stars just starting to light up. "I did it for her. I hated seeing my family and any other family struggle. I wanted to change that long ago but couldn't. I didn't know how until now."

"You're doing more harm than good, Jatios." The Elder said softly. "Look at those people now. They're in ruins."

Jatios shut his eyes. "I know. I try to not think about that."

"It haunts you." A female voice said making both men turn to see Sell sitting on the roof of Jatios's house.

"What the hell are you doing up there?!" Jatios barked.

"Ah. It's you," smiled the Elder. "I'm glad you've joined us. I was going to go meet with you after I spoke to Jatios."

I dangled my feet over the stone wall of the roof. "Glad I could save you the trip."

Jatios scowled, having his question ignored. "Why are you here?"

I smiled looking out across the village. "The same reason why the Elder is here. The reason why your past haunts you. You keep it alive by force. You know the wrong that you're doing yet you see it as too late to fix."

"Such a wise girl," smiled the Elder. "Who's your father? A preacher?"

"My father is a great man," I smiled thinking of him. "Very strong willed. A good leader of the town and of the people that follow him."

"He is no preacher," chuckled Dra'tor sitting on the fence to the right of Jatios.

The two men looked to him in surprise. "You startled us! Where did you come from?!"

"The question is not where but why," giggled Mordan he sat on the other side of the balcony.

The Elder and Jatios looked at them. Where had they appeared from so suddenly and without being heard? Jatios looked up at me. "Why are you here for?"

"I just told you," I said smiling. "Were you not listening?"

"You are very young to be out here traveling. Why is that?" the Elder asked looking me over.

Through my eyes I could see what he once was. "It comes from here. What makes me what I'm doing today." I said placing a hand on my chest. "It burns within me and also within you."

Jatios raised a brow. The Elder's breath caught as his eyes widened. That was what triggered his memories. "Lord Hatos…!"

"Good evening, Lord Nain. It's been quite a long time." I said bowing my head.

The old man that I had called Nain began to cry. "I'm over joyed. Someone knows who I am! Oh, how I've wanted someone to call out my name for so long!"

"Why are you here for, my Lord?" I asked leaning on my knees with my hands grasping them.

Nain shook his head sadly. "I recall a great storm that happened on the ocean. I had left the kingdom under Sir Dric's care so long ago. I got a boat and was swept out by the currents. The great storm tossed me so far for a long time before it finally died and I found myself in my shipwreck on the shore. I couldn't remember anything at all.

"Then I was found by nomads of the desert that took me in and cared for me. I learned the ways of survival and I've been here ever since. I left home to find my sister, Princess Ananon. I've missed her so much."

I leapt from the roof to crouch before him. "I'm sorry, Lord Nain. The Princess was killed by Lord Hatos."

Dra'tor and Mordan were in slight shock at all of this before slowly crouching next to me before him. "We're sorry, Lord Nain."

Nain looked to us with tears in his eyes. "You have a story to tell."

I raised my head up to him and nodded. "I do."

We took him within Jatios's house and had him sit in the living room. There I sat next to him telling him of my journey and all that had happened since Lady Ananon had left the world to be with her mother. Nain was purely impressed by it all. He sat listening to everything without saying a word. After I had finished as I got to the point of why I was there he grasped my hands with his, quivering with tears.

"You young, sweet child! You are such a brave child for bearing what she had! I'm thoroughly impressed and in surprise with all of this."

Lord Dra'tor and Mordan both sat there in silence. "We're so close to getting Hatos. If Hatos hears about you though, he will come to kill you too."

Nain looked to Dra'tor with a smile. "Father had no quarrels with me. All I know is that he isn't what he used to be and can't ever go back to it."

"Who were the people that he got the portal from so long ago?" I asked resting on my elbow.

Nain's face went a pale color. "They are a group that's being controlled by a man named Knives. He has a second person that has joined also back then. Lord Socaza."

Dra'tor and Mordan's heads jerked up at the name. "Socaza!"

"Who's Socaza again?" I asked looking lost.

"Socaza, the back stabbing rat bastard! He sold us all out to Lord Hatos when your father and the other Lord's let him go. They found out what he had been doing. This was back when you were on your adventure for survival. He has a son named Aeno." Dra'tor said looking towards me.

It then hit me who we were talking about. "It's all connected. From the very start. From so long ago. It's much bigger than I thought."

"If Hatos gets hold of the other portals…" Mordan said but stopped as his mind began to wander.

We could all see it there. The war at the Rune Citadel of Enitios Valley. Lord Hatos commanding hordes that poured from the portals. I grasped the wood chair, my nails gouging out the wood. "They'll all die."

"We must return, Sell," Dra'tor said desperately looking to me. "They must be warned."

Mordan looked attentive then. "I shall send out letters. Please write them."

Jatios sat at the table across the room in the kitchen listening to us. He hadn't spoken a single word while drinking the ale. The story of her life and battles looked to be greater than his massacre that he had there in the village all those years ago. She had seen so many die and he had only watched as his own died in his arms. "Damn it all…"

She had fought for the dead and gone, she had fought for the ones alive, she had fought to keep their freedom, and now she was going into war to bring it all to an end. She was fearless and full of pride. Much more than what he had within him. A drunk soul full of heart break and loneliness. He poured the last of the ale into the glass and knocked it back.

"I've decided, Sell. I want to turn my life and other's lives around. What was that proposition that you had for me? Or do you have one for me?"

I looked towards the kitchen with a small smile. "Indeed I do. I need you and your men to go to war with us. The Rune citadel of Enitios Valley."

Jatios stood and stopped in the doorway. "We'll do it."

"If it's no trouble, I want to go see your father, Sell." Nain said horsely clearing his throat.

"No trouble at all," I said with a smile. "Mordan shall take you after I give him a letter."


	16. Chapter 16 The Wolf Among Sheep

Ch.16 The Wolf Among Sheep

Hatos has taken a nice vacation within a peaceful village by the sea. It's glory and beauty in its hanging gardens and falling waters. His followers all milling about enjoying the break. It was all going to end there for these people that lived in the village. It was a sad time for them. Yet they knew not of what was going to happen.

"This place is quite a remarkable sight." A rider said sipping tea.

"It's truly a place of art and beauty." Said another. "It's a shame that this place must be destroyed."

"It's all to fill time." Said a third male that was not a rider nor one of Hatos's men. "It's all a plan to Lure Sell from hiding."

"Pff, hiding?" laughed the first man. "Hardly! She's no doubt still watching us! She took down our stronghold from out in nowhere's land!"

"Such a shame. Those bastards didn't know what hit them." The second man said.

"It was just a demonstration towards you all." The third man sipped his tea. "I will have to speak to my father about all this."

"Knives, wasn't it?" asked the first male.

"Correct," Knives replied as he fixed his red and gold trimmed cloak. It's pointed hood covering his face. "What's the reason for asking?"

"Why are you with us for if you're not part of Hatos's followers?" asked the first man.

Knives turned to him and began to chuckle. "I'm enjoying the scenery like the rest of you. I like to relax at times also."

"Knives," spoke a female voice.

Knives turned to the voice to see Hatos's wife Serdra holding her newborn son. "Yes, Queen Serdra?"

"I'm going to go to the market place to get more clothes for Anzel. Will you watch us?" Serdra asked nicely. "I feel much safer if you were guarding."

Knives stood, his cloak whispering about him as he strode next to Serdra in a protective manner. The two men scowled at his back.

"Lucky bastard."

As Knives sat on the sandstone fountain wall he watched the Queen going through clothes for the Prince and leaned back looking up at the crisp blue sky. The clouds hardly passing over due to the different wind currents. He couldn't get over how beautiful the seaside town was. It was a perfect place to live when searching for peace and beauty. The Queen also liked it.

Earlier she had asked Hatos to build her such a place just like this one. Hatos of course told her he would in time once everything was prepared and his desired base had been built. He always put his wife second to himself but he would sacrifice his own things and place his child above everything else. He loved his son more than anything else. As Knives saw it, he would sacrifice his wife to save his son.

"Prince Anzel, ruler of the Nether," Knives said to himself softly as he eyed the Queen and infant Prince. "Prince Anzel, ruler of the living and the dead."

"I see you're amusing yourself with his name again," Hatos said behind him.

Knives slowly turned his head to the King and smiled. "It's a catchy name. Forgive me."

Hatos chuckled waving his hand. "It's quite alright. I enjoy hearing your titles for my son."

"What of The Devil's Prophecy?" Knives asked, knowing exactly how Hatos would react to it.

Hatos gave him a stony look. "What of the title? Someone already has it."

"It should be your son's," Knives spoke gently. "It falls on him much better. Anzel, the Devil's Prophecy."

Hatos gave a sigh of annoyance at the sound of it. "No it doesn't."

"The Devil's Child, Anzel." Knives said and a smile crept across his face at the sound of it. "I like that."

"You and the damn titles that are already used." Growled Hatos. "I have a job for you to do. Listen up."

Knives went silent waiting for the order. Hatos watched his wife walking about the stalls.

"Take Serdra and Anzel to a nice town near Minopor. I haven't bombed the ones around there because they weren't near the coast."

"You only bombed Minopor to get at Sell's soft side," Knives muttered.

"She appeared, didn't she?" Hatos asked with a sinister grin. "Nothing was greatly taken from her. Everyone lived."

"She saved them." Knives said getting to his feet. "What makes you think she'll be at this war?"

Hatos looked up at the young man. His eyes reflecting the crimson colored cloak. "She won't leave her brethren to go up against me alone. She'll be there. Now, go to Minopor and bring me Sen. Kill Rien's wife."

Knives looked to Hatos, the hood over the upper part of his face. "What's her name?"

Hatos gave him a grin. Knives stared at him feeling that he looked a bit too pleased with his idea.

"You know her. You haven't seen her for quite some time right?"

Knives felt himself go into a slight surprise. "It's her then?" He turned away to look over at the Queen as she was fitting Prince Anzel a wool hat. He hadn't seen her in so long_. 'Does she even look the same as she did back then? Or has she aged?'_

He walked off with his thoughts to himself. Not speaking another word to Hatos. He touched Queen Serdra on the shoulder gently. Serdra turned to him seeing the gesture. She paid for the baby wool cap and gave a wave to her husband before she and the baby were teleported away to the place that Hatos had instructed.

Hatos got to his feet looking about. "This was such a nice place to stay. Wouldn't you agree with me, Kinar?"

Kinar, a dragon rider, nodded in agreement. "Yes, my Lord. It was a pleasant stay."

"Such a terrible fate it has." The Dark Lord turned striding away towards the entrance.

The two men that were sitting with Knives earlier strode up to Hatos, ready for their job. Hatos gave them the signal with his hands. An exploding gesture as he passed them. A man stood outside the entrance of the town, cloaked in all black but with a red trim.

"Have a nice stay, Hatos?"

Hatos hugged his friend in the black and red trimmed cloak. "It was wonderful. I'm pleased that you suggested such a place. Now, to get to business."

Hatos placed an arm across the cloaked man's shoulders. "Do you have my orders ready?"

"I have a few hundred to still make but they will be there when you need them." The cloaked man said. "My son is directing it all in my absence."

"Will they be linked up in the desired places I've asked for?" Hatos asked bringing his head nearer to the cloaked man.

The cloaked man nodded. "They will. My engineers of that field are doing the coordination's now."

The two stood on a far hill turning back towards the town. Hatos looked down at the clock that he had in his pocket. The arm touching the noon area. "May the fireworks begin!" He flung up his arms as if he were conducting an orchestra.

Dragons came from the distance and swooped down upon the town dropping bombs and explosives. The people screaming in pain and fear. Hatos having a song playing in his mind from the sounds he was hearing, swinging his arms to the side and up. He brought his fist down energetically for the last chord. The nuclear bomb was dropped and all was ripped away as the sky was illuminated by the bright and blinding light that appeared from the explosion.

Hatos raised his arms in the air laughing as he and the cloaked figure were picked up by two dragon riders. The dragons soared across the sky with the rest of the fleet and other men, disappearing in the thick clouds that rolled from the mountains not far from the sea side town that was now in rubble and flames. As the wind whipped around them Hatos sat behind the rider in deep thought. Knives would definitely get the job done without trouble. He wouldn't hesitate a bit.

He felt like he had forgotten to tell him something though. He counted down the people at Minopor that he wouldn't have much trouble with. It hit him that he had forgotten to count the werewolves. _'Ah hell. Oh well. Surely he'll have his potions and such to take. He'll be fine.'_

"Hatos!" shouted the cloaked man on the other dragon. "How do the Endermen have a plan in all of this that you've done?"

Hatos smiled. "No need to worry! You will see soon enough! It's not yet finished!"

The cloaked man turned away, holding his hood to keep from having it blown off by the wind. "I swear this feels like a damn goose chase."

Hatos chuckled. "You just really want to know what's in store for you and your son, Socaza! Please, relax while my men fly you back to your shop! I'll be in touch with you real soon!"

Socaza turned to see Hatos being taken in a different direction than he was heading. "Hey! We aren't done! Hatos! Where's my pay?!"

Hatos waved him away with a hand as his fleet of dragons took him behind the thick wall of clouds and was out of sight. Socaza balled his hands from anger. "He better pay me when we bring those damn portals!"

The rider flicked the reigns of the dragon, urging it faster. A few swift, strong flaps and they were shooting through the clouds at a high speed that made Socaza grasp the rider's sturdy shoulder to keep seated. "Don't you dare kill me either!"

The rider smiled over his shoulder. "Wouldn't dream of doing such a thing."

"I hope that damn bitch that has got you all in a fit shows up at this war! I'm not doing all of this for nothing!" Socaza barked.

The rider shrugged. "We all hope she comes. My leader has no doubts. She'll be there so you can keep making those portals for him. No skimping on the cords either. You'll be checked."

Socaza growled at the back of the rider. "There will be no skimping on any damn thing! I want the damn pay! I need it!"

The rider chuckled. "Ok then. What's the reason to be mad for then?"

Socaza sighed hunching over to keep the wind from hitting him so greatly_. 'You had better be right about this.'_

I awoke in a cold sweat and panting. "Dra'tor!"

My bedroom door was barged against by Dra'tor who was half dressed and looking for a fight. "Sell? You ok?!"

I nodded pushing myself upright as Dra'tor lit the torches about the room with his flames. "What happened?"

I wiped the sweat from my face with the sheet. Mordan had left with the letter earlier with Lord Nain. He hadn't gotten back yet, which I didn't think he would've. Dra'tor handed me a glass of water which I downed thirstily. I handed the glass back to him which he set down before sitting on the edge of my bed. He was waiting to hear what I had dreamt.

"Hatos is on the move. He's destroyed the last sea side town. He sent a man that I didn't recognize off somewhere and I think I saw the portal maker, Socaza. His son wasn't with him though."

Dra'tor sat there in silence thinking. "We need to get back to my kingdom. There we can do all the thinking and letters we need to send out. Plus Mordan can return faster."

I nodded agreeing. "Dra'tor, it's getting so bad at home. I've got to go back!"

"No!" Dra'tor snapped. "He'll follow you there!"

"Let him! I need to go see them, Dra'tor!" I pleaded back on the verge of tears. I was homesick. I needed to see my mother and father. I wanted my brothers and most of all I had to check on Hel. "I'm going back."

Dra'tor sighed seeing how he wouldn't be able to stop me no matter how hard he tried. "Fine. In the morning we leave before the sun comes up. That gives us just a few hours more of sleep. Get to it."

I watched him get up and stride out of my room. "Thanks."

The door shut behind him leaving me to blow out the torches and head to bed once more. I would finally see them again. See how they were doing. I smiled snuggling into the pillow falling back to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17 A One Day Return

Ch.17 A One Day Return

The fleet of riders broke through the other wall of the great fluffy clouds to arrive at an immaculate island. Pigmen roamed about below with their swords and armor, ready to fight anything that stepped on the island. Tall towering mushrooms were sparse but growing strong on this odd looking island. Tall mountains towered around the edges of the island, defending its land from the waves that crashed against the jagged edges of the cliffs. The dragon fleet landed on the cliffs to allow Hatos to get off the dragon. He surveyed the construction of the island and its mountains with a nod of approval. Below him the Endermen worked steadily. Passing land material to one another, building up the shapes as their Lord ordered.

"Build me the magnificent tower that represents me in all my power and glory that shall rule forever!" Hatos roared out to the Endermen below. "I want this thing to stand forever, as a scar upon this land! That Prince Anzel shall see forever when he grows and know that his father was a powerful ruler! Let the people that are so little and weak look upon this in fear and belittlement! That evil reigns highest over them!"

The Endermen looked up to him for a moment before going back to work. The stone carriers teleported in, placing the bricks and stone in the required places before teleporting away again. Another group of Endermen teleported in with fences and wood, placing supports in the required places that were needed to support the structure. The scene overjoyed Hatos to the brink of psychotic laughter. "This will be wondrous! Glorious! Powerful! It will be my everything when people have fear! May Sell come to my war!

"May she die along with her brethren in agony! This land will have her no more and I'll hang her body- No! I'll spear it on the highest steeple of my marvelous structure!"

The dragons and the riders all chorused together in the plot to bring Sell down. The dragon roars deafening the cheers of their riders.

Hel leapt awake panting. He scrambled to the wall looking about. His ears perked to the sounds that he had dreamt of but only silence met him back. He let out a long sigh and fell to the stone floor of the wall, exhausted from the dream. One of the guards walked over to him and knelt down.

"You ok, Hel?"

Hel nodded rubbing his face with his hands before looking up to the sky, watching it lighten from the rising sun. "I'll be ok. I just had a quick nap and had a bad dream."

"You're still dreaming of the dragons?" the guard asked behind his helmet.

He nodded. "I have a feeling that we're not done with them just yet."

The guard clanked while getting up. "You wish for me to sound an alert?"

Hel got to his feet shaking himself off. "No. It's too early. I'm not for sure if they're coming back or not. I just have a bad feeling. Go back to your post."

The guard stared at him for a moment before finally nodding and walked off with heavy clanking footsteps. A fresh breeze from the mountains swirled about through the town's remains. Hel looked down upon the sparse town that once was a bustling place. He looked towards the small hills where the farming village stood or used to stand. Some of the houses burned or were bombed to the point they couldn't stand any longer and collapsed.

He turned to the far right corner of the town to see the remodeling of the graveyard which had gotten larger after the attack. Many elderly perished from the bombs. Not a single one could move quickly enough to get out of the way. Many of them were the ones that Sell's father delivered too. Now their elderly list was no more. Many of their animals were divided up among the farmers which helped out a farming issue that would've developed a few months from the attack.

It had all been solved though. The people were still remembering the attack on a daily basis. Children hardly left their mothers or fathers side. Everyone came in before dark and not a soul would make a sound at night. They said their prayers and went straight to bed.

All the happiness that the town and village had was no more. Hel braced himself on the bridge wall when he saw Rien holding his daughter staring out on the village hillside towards him. Hel looked o the fortification wall, checking to see if anyone was around before leaping the bridge wall and falling to the ground. Landing in a crouch he straightened and walked casually away towards Rien's location. He passed the market, seeing the few stalls that had been rebuilt, including their newest member, Los.

She had a stall built for her potion brewing which helped the people out greatly when injured. She had saved most the people and had taken care of them when the hospital had been filled up. He felt that the town was lucky to have such a herbalist witch among them. He arrived on the gravel road and was greeted by Rien with Sen.

"Sorry. I figured I'd meet you half way."

Hel shrugged. "Anything's fine. How's Lord Nain?"

He's doing good. Recovered from the teleportation well. Mordan did well with him. Los has been checking up on him regularly and she's seen improvement on his half. He'll be around for a long while now." Rien smiled looking down at Sen who was stretching with a big yawn. "I thought I'd take her for a nice walk this morning."

"Have you heard anything from Sell other than the message?" Hel asked taking Sen from Rien and holding her.

Rien shook his head. He wished just as much as Hel that Sell would give more words then what was written on pieces of paper. "Have you heard from Rayr and Skelar? Lones is worried."

Hel shook his head this time. I have not. I'm sure everything's fine though." Hel said placing Sen against his shoulder.

Sen peeked over the muscled shoulder to peer around behind him. She grasped the air with her hand wanting to touch whatever it was that was behind them. Hel turned to see Los holding a bunch of furs that she had gotten from some place.

"Los, how are you? I stopped by your stall this morning. You seem to be doing real well."

"I'm doing just dandy, Hel. Rien, gives these damn pelts to someone. I don't need them!" Los snapped shoving the huge pile into Rien's arms. "I'm going to go see your wife. I'd love to have a nice conversation with her!"

Before Rien or Hel could say anything more Los skipped away happily down the gravel path towards the house. Rien looked to Hel bewildered and looked at the pelts. "What the hell do I do with these?"

Hel shrugged not knowing the answer. Sen turned around seeing all the fur and leapt on it, making Rien freak out and balance the pile more to keep her from falling off. The child grabbed the furs and nuzzled into them with a big smile. Hel chuckled at her seeing what she wanted.

"I think Aumi will have to craft a rug."

Rien looked down at his daughter and raised a brow at the idea. "Her room could use more decoration in it."

"When in doubt trust the baby," Hel said picking her up and cradling her. "Right?"

Sen grabbed his long hair tugging it with giggles. The two men made their way back to the farm house. Seeing the two women talking at the kitchen table with hot milk.

"How much longer will we have to do these damn rations for?!" Los asked grumpily. "I've lost five pounds!"

"Until we're stabile again." Rien said placing the fur in the livingroom. "I wouldn't be complaining though. You might not get any food."

Los pulled a face at his back before looking at her milk. "Those damn dragons have nothing better to do!"

"It's not their fault," Hel said as he placed Sen in her chair next to Aumi. "Hatos is controlling them."

"I guess you can also vouch for the others that are being controlled too?" Los asked snappishly.

There was a knock at the door then that made Hel turn away from lashing out at the young girl. She might be small and young but she sure had an attitude similar to an adult. He opened the door and all the breath left him. Rien entered the kitchen after placing the pelts on the floor in a rug shape and looked at Hel oddly. "Who's at the door?"

"It's good to see you too, Hel." Said a voice that made everyone the house freeze.

All eyes went to Hel who was blocking their view. Was it truly the person that they had all been waiting to see again?

Sell woke bright and early that morning. Before Dra'tor could get up to wake her. He was being woken up by her, who looked so happy and excited to be going back home for a day.

"Geez. Calm down, would you?"

"I can't! I've missed them all so much! I've been worried sick about them!" I said grasping his arm and shaking it lightly. "Hurry up, Dra'tor! I want to go!"

"You always want to go!" he snapped not happy getting up so early. "Go, go, go…"

The two packed their things up and allowed the three Nightmare's to head back to the Nether for a good rest. Dra'tor turned to her before they teleported away.

"You must promise me that you are only stay a day and no longer! After today we head to my kingdom to get you prepared for the war. Got it?"

I nodded seeing as it was a fair trade. The world around us began to warp into the deep blue. Our bodies starting to get uncomfortable as we were sucked up and passing out. We traveled the long distance and landed on the fields not fifty blocks from the town. I took a deep breath of air and sighed as Dra'tor coughed.

"I hate it all! Everytime it tries to kill me!"

Nudged him with a grin walking away from him. He finally followed after with our one bag that contained our extra clothes breathing normally. It was my first time being back after the attack. Seeing the damage and sparse houses that were left I could only feel sadness for my people. I walked about the town looking over every inch of the place, seeing all that had been damaged and finally stopped at the graveyard which was much bigger than I remembered it being.

I couldn't take it. I fell to my knees at the sight of all the grave markers. Most of them all new. I thought I had saved the people from the death and destruction that had happened but I thought wrong.

"I didn't save them."

Dra'tor placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "They all know you tried your best for their families though. That's what they are the most proud of. How you saved their families."

I rose slowly and prayed for all of the graves before turning and heading towards the hillside village. Trudging up the gravel path with heavy feet, my eyes reflecting all of the damage that had been done. I fell upon my family farmhouse and saw the repairs that had been made immediately to it and the fences that held the livestock. It had all been fixed. I pushed open the fence gates to the front door and knocked. I could hear a voice snapping at someone when the door opened.

Looking up I saw Hel standing there as shock overwhelmed him. I smiled up at him warmly. "It's good to see you too, Hel."

Hel touched my hair with a hand and finally hugged me in a bear hug. "I've missed you so much!"

"Sell!" cried Aumi who leapt up wrapping me in a hug over Hel. "My baby is back! She's back!"

Los leapt to her feet staring in surprise and turned to Rien pointing. "Is it really?!"

Rien nodded with a smile. "It's her, Los. You can tell her what you've been dying to tell her."

I looked over mom and Hel to see father in the back of the room watching. "Father!"

Hel and Aumi parted to let me run and embrace him tightly. Rien hugged me happy to have me back home. "I worried about you so much."

"Same here," I replied as he let me loose to stand on my own again. "Where's Toc and Des?"

"What's all the commotion for?" Des asked entering with a hoe in his hand.

I turned around and smiled at the sight of him. He dropped the hoe and wrapped me in a tight hug. "Toc! Toc! Sell's back! Sell's back, Toc!"

I felt myself get lifted and hauled from the room by Des who sprinted to the fields with me on his shoulders as he screamed for his brother. "Toc! Toc!"

I suddenly found myself in a heap on the ground with Toc and Des as they hugged me. Both were crying and sobbing as they hugged me. "You're back! Dear Notch this is a great day! I can't believe it!"

I laughed at them as we got back to our feet and dusting ourselves off. "Just for a day. I have to leave tomorrow or tonight to ready myself for the war again. I just came to spend time with you all before I have to leave again."

Toc and Des looked at me as if they were special. "You came back just to see us?"

I looked at them oddly. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Lady Sell!" cried a young girl from behind us.

I turned to see her running towards me urgently. "What can I do for you?"

"Sell, this is Los," Des said introducing the young girl. "Her sisters were taken by Hatos."

My memory went back to when I had gone to the Nether to save Des and Skelar. I had opened a door to a room that I had felt the odd energy come from and saw the women that were lifeless and had blank stares. I looked down at Los with a frown. "I'm sorry I didn't save them back then when I had the chance. This time I promise that I will though."

Los took my hand smiling. "It's ok, Lady Sell. I know you will. You're the only one that can save them that I know of."

Rien, Hel, and Aumi joined us then from the house. Aumi carrying the newborn in her arms which stared at me with big eyes that were bright cherry red. "Sell, meet your little sister, Sen."

I slowly walked over to them and took her from my mother to cradle her. She grasped my hair that had grown longer over the past months. It was now a bit past my shoulders. She took the strands and placed them in her mouth as if she were hungry.

"Has she been fed yet?"

Aumi shook her head. "I tried to feed her but she refused it. I suppose she's hungry now if she's eating your hair."

I pulled the hair from her mouth and dried it with minimal flames that traveled through my fingers. Sen watched with fascination at the magic. Aumi took her from me and retreated towards the house to feed her. Rien watched her go before turning back to me.

"What do you think?"

I shrugged. "What about her? She's cute but I can't turn my back from her for long, father. "

He looked at me strangely wondering what I meant. Hel Stood next to me happily. I hated to tell him this would only be a short visit.

"Hel, care to take me for a ride?"

"Sure!" He said excitedly shifting into his werewolf form.

I petted his fur before climbing onto his back, remembering the adventures we had so long ago. Grasping his neck fur he slowly began to move away from everyone. Los ran and leapt into my lap suddenly making Hel stop and look over his shoulder at us.

"I want to go." Los said looking up at me.

I smiled and nodded to Hel that I allowed it before he turned back and began to move once more.

"Hold on to her, I'm going to make a swift exit from here." Hel growled.

"Los take hold of his neck tightly," I instructed.

Los grasped his fur with both hands and we suddenly surged forward. I bent over Los to keep from falling back and grasped Hel's fur tighter as he raced across the ground on all fours, flinging up gravel behind him. Los's eyes went wide from the werewolf's speed. She had never experienced anything before such as this. She could feel the strength of him reverberating throughout his entire aura.

"Are all werewolves like this?" Los asked.

"No, just Hel. He's been genetically altered," I replied as Hel left the town by scaling the fortification wall and over onto the other side. "I'm also genetically altered to carry on my father's lineage. Yet, I'll lose it sometime soon. It will be carried on by Sen."

Los looked back to me trying to understand this. Hel sprinted faster with a growl at over hearing what I had just said. I could sense his frustration under his fur.

_"Where did you hear this from?!"_

"Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena. I also went to the mansion andsaw a vid on dad's computer that I hadn't seen the first time I was there. I felt like I had overlooked something." I said thinking back to the time I had Dra'tor take me there. "Please don't tell them this, Hel, Los."

_"What if you lose it all fighting Hatos?"_ Hel snarled back at me.

"I don't know," I said softly feeling that I wasn't giving him much hope in my situation or for the war. "I plan on meeting with Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena again."

Hel slowed to a stop and panted. _"Let me get this straight. You were imbedded with Skeletal abilities but not permanently?!"_

I nodded. "Yeah. I had to merge myself with my Skeletal Being to get my memories back even if it isn't permanent."

Los and Hel remained silent in thoughts. As I thought about it a bit more I was a bit confused. I had a skeletal Being within me and it felt permanent but it wasn't in a way. Was there a time limit on it? If there was such a thing?

_"It just keeps getting worse and worse as we near the time of war,"_ Hel growled lowly.

_'It really is.'_ I thought to myself as we looked out over the land back towards the town's remains. _'There must be an upside to this some place. There has to be.'_


	18. Chapter 18 Difference of Deathly Ideals

Ch.18 Difference of Deathly Ideals

Knives sat about the lodge in thought. Something about Hatos's plan didn't seem right to him. There was something that felt uneven in it all. Almost too one sided. _'It's got to be a damn set up. He wouldn't send me into enemy territory to get a damn baby!'_ He thought to himself and stood up from the table to look out the window at the lazy small town that was not but two hills away from Minopor. His eyes narrowed at his thoughts that ran back and forth through his head. It was frustrating him.

"Knives, the room is ready. Are you going to go nap?" Serdra asked.

Knives turned to her seeing that she didn't have the baby with her. "Where's the Prince?"

"Asleep in the room." She replied stepping next to him to look out the window. "I'm going to go up and nap. What will you be doing?"

"Making sure the town is safe." He replied walking away.

Serdra watching him go off out the lodge. She sighed folding her arms. "Ugh. Why's he always moody for?"

She turned and headed off towards the room that had been cleaned for her.

Knives removed his hood to look up at the sky with one purple eye and one blood red. He had been an experiment of Hatos's. A lost soul at one point in time and brought back to breathe fresh air once more. Half of him was Endermen DNA mixed with dragons DNA. A knot of a horn protruding from the back of his skull near his left ear.

He wasn't the only one that had been under testing by Hatos. There were others. Many, many others. Yet he was the one that had excelled above the rest and had become the most talented in testing. His hair was a mix of spikey blonde and long red hair.

He brought out sun shades and placed them on before walking through the town. His mind went back over Hatos's plan for Sell. How he was planning to kill her off. There was no way Hatos could kill off all of the important ones in this one war. He'd have to create a massive horde that would constantly pressure the enemy lines. Yet Hatos was confident about his plans. Knives touched a tree which combusted into flames.

"That bastard! He's so egotistical! What kind of leader is that?!"

The Minecraftian's stared at him. Some asking how he had set the tree on fire. He walks on not aware of his actions on the tree or the people watching him. He was too deep in his thoughts.

_"Sell has a werewolf that guards her. His name is Hel. He's no doubt guarding her at all times if she comes on the battlefield." Hatos said across the table from him at dinner. "He's been altered genetically and very well at that. Rien paid attention to details in him. Now, when those two are together they are a very tough duo."_

_"That damn werewolf doesn't have shit on me!" growled Knives while biting into cooked chicken. "They'll both die to my hands!"_

_"There you go underestimating again. Knives, as your creator I'm telling you their fighting styles! I've fought Sell before and the damn dog!" Hatos stabbed the table with a knife. "Now listen to me!"_

_Knives sat there as he was ordered. Hatos pulled the knife from the table and went back cutting his food. _

_"Sell will attack first. When your attention is solely on her Hel will come out of nowhere and attack. They'll switch up randomly. You always have to be alert. These two have trained with one another a good bit. They know each other very well."_

Knives stood atop a church staring out at the sinking sun. That dinner that he had with Hatos not too long ago was a briefing. He knew more now about the enemy. He would have to cripple the wolf first before going for Sell. He wanted Sell dead before Hatos got the satisfaction of killing her himself.

He wouldn't allow that. Hatos still wanted to destroy things to lure Sell out more. Knives could feel his blood lust all the way from where he was. It didn't matter to him. He could draw Sell out easily.

If you make a disturbance in the air great enough to make the Lord's inspect, it was perfect bait.

"The bastard is such a jackass he can't even see a perfect plan right in front of him. He wants Sell so bad; it's easy to get her. He just needs to shake himself of his foolishness."

A hiss in the air made him turn his head at the sound. _"Fool! She's more complicated now than she was back then! She's regained her memory and is much more a danger than she was before!"_

"Leave me to the job, Hatos. You sent me on it now let me do what _I think_ I need to do!" Knives hissed back. A dragons serpent tongue flicking behind his teeth. "I'll get the damn child called Sen and I'll kill my mother as you requested! Now leave me in peace to collect my thoughts!"

The air hissed more angrily near his ears. _"Don't you dare back talk me, Knives! You want me to chain you back where you came from?! Eternally?!"_

A growl came from Knives at the threat. _"You need me more than you need those pitiful dragons! I'm your ace! You know it, Hatos!"_

The air gave a growling chuckle around him. _"Do I know this? You haven't done enough to prove your worth! You could be the same trash that's back in the wandering darkness! Lost forever more! Do you know how many Dark Matter orbs I used to make you?!"_

_"Does it matter?"_ he growled. His eyes glowing brightly. _"I'll make you see how much of an importance I am to you! You hear me?! You'll have to recognize me!"_

The air was still and not a voice spoke back to him. Knives calmed himself as he looked about himself before settling his sights on the horizon. He would make Hatos keep him. He would change his mind for sure. He clenched his fist and looked down at it.

_'Would mother truly haunt me for doing such a thing to her? If so, then I will pray in advance for her forgiveness and when I kill her.'_

He looked back towards the steeple of the lodge that his queen was resting in. _'She'll be fine for a little bit.' _He leapt from the steeple, teleporting away.

His teleportation let him touch down to the East of Minopor. He corrected his cloak about him, pulling his hood over his face before striding through the gates with night falling around him. The guards on the fortification walls halted him.

"Stop, traveler! You must be examined before coming inside!"

Knives raised his arms up. "Examine me. You will find that I have little on me."

The foot guards walked over to him, examining and feeling him in the pockets and armor, only finding his traveling gear and a sword. "He's clear!"

Knives fixed his things before striding on into the ruined town. The towns people were unaware of what was going to take place under their noses. The sound of fluttering fabric made him pause. He turned to see a mother walking from a shop with her child heading home. He sighed through his nose and continued on his way, heading through the market square and off up the hillside on the gravel path.

Voices could be heard ahead which made him slip to the side behind some hedges of a house. He stood in the shadows peering through the spaces of the leaves at the path. Two figures walked past, talking about the war. From the sense of power that emanated off them he could tell that it was two Skeletal Beings.

He poked his head out watching them head off down the gravel path unsure of whom they were. He turned and walked quietly across the loose stone that led the way up to a farm house where Rien and his wife lived. He made a quick check around the place, looking for any other Skeletal Lords before striding towards the door. He grasped the door handle gently with a smile. Fire crept over the wooden handle, seeping into the door, eating away the wood.

He felt the handle give and held it up in his hand before tossing it into the bushes. Pushing open the door quietly and striding in the house was silent for the most part. Moving like a shadow over the wood floors and heading up the stairs he stood in the doorway of the infant's room to see Aumi sitting in a chair holding the baby called Sen.

"Such a nice night to see you again, mother," Knives said quietly.

Aumi looked up at him as her eyes went wide. "Knives. Where did you come from? Why aren't you with your father? Why are you here?"

He took a step into the room, Aumi leapt to her feet protective of Sen. "You left us to come here and start another family? Are you rejecting us?"

Aumi shook her head. "No. Never. I would never reject you or your father. I just…"

"Lies," hissed Knives taking another step forward. "You women are all alike. Lies, lies, lies!"

Aumi had nowhere to go except to move back into the corner of the room that she was in. "Why are you here?!"

"I want the child," Knives said holding out a hand. "I've been told to take her to my Lord. He seeks what she has."

Aumi shook her head no at the demand. "I won't give her to you, Knives! Sen doesn't belong with the Lord of the Darkness!"

Knives stopped looking surprised. She knew of such a person? "You know of him?"

"I do," she said sternly. "I know of everything that he's done! I know what my family has been going through against him! I know everything! Heartless murderer! How can you work for such a person?!"

Knives stared at his mother, removing his hood for her to see him. She gasped in shock at the sight. "W-W-What's happened to you?! What did you do to yourself?!"

"This is what he's done to me. This is why I work for him. He's given me the power I've asked for and wanted my entire life." Knives turned to the window to stare out at the town. "More than what you and father did for me. It's why I hold him higher than you or father. He's earned my respect!"

This hit Aumi like a ton of bricks. "Respect? Power? Is that all you wanted?!"

"I told you many times when I was growing up what I wanted!" Knives barked at her. "Not one thing you did for me got me close!"

"You don't need such a thing to be happy though!" Aumi argued back.

"It's not to be happy!" Knives snapped. "Never in my lifetime did I ever want to be happy! I wanted to be greater than anything on this world! I wanted to be powerful and give orders! I wanted to be a God!"

It then occurred to Aumi where this was going. "Why aren't you dead? You and your father…"

He smiled showing sharp teeth. "I was resurrected. I was given a new body but the same features. Then I was Genetically altered and turned into this fine creation! Am I not powerful?"

Aumi sank to the floor against the wall in dread. She clutched Sen to her protectively. "You're a demon..." she whispered loud enough for him to hear. "You're nothing but a demon that wants to ruin us all!"

Knives looked down at her with slitted eyes and an amused expression. "Yes. Now you get it. I wanted to have power that was close to a God to save the ones I wanted to save but it never worked out like that. Finally, after sitting in the darkness being a Lost Soul I finally get my wish! At a cost though…"

"I raised you better than this!" Aumi growled at him.

"You raised me to be a pathetic fool!" Knives yelled pointing a claw at her. "I hated it! I hated our life and I hated the people around us! I hated everything!"

Aumi shook her head not believing it. She couldn't believe it. "You…were only smiling to lie to us?"

Knives laughed at her question, touching the chair that she had been in and set it ablaze. "Oh, how mothers are such gullible bitches to their children. Yes, I only smiled to hide what I really wanted. How I really felt. Now, my abilities become permanent when I kill you."

The flames from the chair leapt onto the wall and began to climb. The room was starting to become ablaze.

"Why would you kill your own mother?!" Aumi pleaded.

"To get what I want I must kill something of me that I held dearly. I had no best friends, except you. Father was never really in my life much, except you." Knives came closer, toes touching the flames. "I then realized that it was you who I was to come after. Justification to set ones heart on the track that it should've been on so long ago."

Knives held up his hands, his claws elongating. A sneer spread across his face as the flames danced in his eyes. Aumi trapped and not able to do a thing. Tears streamed down her face in fear. "Please, Mor'ver! Don't do this!"

He froze at the name she said. His heart skipped a beat as she said it. That was his name before he was resurrected and he had forgotten it when he had been a Lost Soul. "I'll remember that name. Good bye, mother. I pray for your soul."

"No!" Aumi screamed as he formed two swords within each hand, swinging across aiming for her neck.

I stood in the meeting room on the stage waiting for the Lord's to gather. It was a full house, all eager to see me again. Everyone was in high spirits, no matter what was going on. As they all settled smiling the meeting started. Hel and Rayr in their usual places but a new face sat among them that night.

It was Lord Nain, Lady Ananon's little brother. Rien stood at the podium starting the meeting.

"Good evening to all Lord's that have gathered here tonight. It's a very special night as we all can see," he turned to his right to look at me. "Lady Sell has come back just for a night to see us all again. To show that she is well and with a sane mind this time."

I smiled at the little nudge he made, the last time I was in the hospital with no memory. He turned back to the Lord's smiling.

"We are all glad to see her again. She even brought Lord Dra'tor with her again. He was the one that took her in the dead of night to get her into the training. Without him Sell wouldn't be standing here with her memory again. Let's all applaud his work in thanks for recovering Sell!"

The room erupted into loud cheers and applause from the Lord's. Dra'tor fidgeted under the attention and looked to me with an embarrassed look upon his face, cheeks burning. I applauded with the Lord's showing him my thanks also.

"Upon her return, she found a surprise while adventuring! Let's all welcome Lord Nain, Lady Ananon's little brother!" Rien said over the clapping, gesturing to Nain next to Rayr and Hel.

The Lord's applauded him also, touching his shoulder and bidding him a warm welcome. It all died into relative silence again. Rien cleared his throat to go on.

"We have been warned by our Lady that the war will be far worse than we imagined. Portals to the Nether will be opened and hordes will be coming from the Nether to attack us. We also do not know anything about these new creatures called the Endermen, whom destroy homes and land to teleport away some place with the material. No one has been harmed by them yet but do not think they are passive! We must keep them at a distance.

"Also, it seems that our Lady has connected the dots to those that are behind all of this besides Hatos. Lord Nain helped her with vital information. Without his help we wouldn't have been able to piece together this great puzzle."

It was like time stopped for me then. No one made a sound around me when my eyes were flung wide and all I could see were flames leaping high and a body lying within those flames in a familiar place. Her voice barely whispering. "Sell…Ri…en…" I sprang to my feet and leapt from the stage barking orders.

"Hel, Dra'tor, get to the house! Father, something's happened!"

Before anyone could say a word I was gone from the teleportation. Dra'tor looked to rien alarmed but Hel was already out of the room and sprinting full blast back to the house.

"Rien!" Dra'tor called out pleading for him to follow as he was disappearing.

Rien looked to Lones who took to the stage as he left with his own teleportation. Lones raised his hands to settle everyone. "I'm sure everything's fine. It's probably the baby or something that has set Lady Sell off. You know how she must be attached to her little sister by now."

I landed in the gravel path in front of the house. The roof and upper floors were already up in flames. "Mother!" I sprang towards the second bedroom, my scythe appearing in my hands and swung, slicing my way inside.

Flames roared towards my face which did no harm to me since I was now in my skeletal form. I looked around the baby room for my mother and saw her in the corner, the flames about to reach her. "Mother!" I swung my scythe, forcing the flames to die and made myself a safe path to walk through.

Taking her body that was limp and blood soaked around the chest I had no time to pause. I held her up and left through the entrance I had made to float down to the gravel path and laid her down. Rien appeared by the front gate and shoved it open when he saw me next to mom. "Aumi!"

"She's been wounded," I said not raising my voice. My hands pressed down on her neck to find her vitals. It was low. "The doctor isn't going to make it here. Dad, you need to get her to the hospital quickly!"

Rien picked up his wife and teleported without another word. I straightened looking towards the house as Dra'tor appeared behind me. "Let's put out the fire."

Dra'tor transformed into his own skeletal being form and held his scythe in his hands. "Let's go."

We sprang forward swinging our scythes at the same time. The fire leapt from the blast that we had sent but never budged. I nudged Dra'tor away who floated back while I powered up before flying towards the house and spinning about. I came out of the spin and swung my scythe diagonally yelling. The fire leapt and put it's self out as if a huge gust of wind had come and stripped it from its place.

The house now smoked, not on fire any longer.

"What the hell happened?" Dra'tor asked when we heard Hel leaping the fence and sliding across the gravel.

I turned to Hel with a questioning look. He looked towards the house with his nose twitching and looked back to me. "Sen is gone."

I narrowed my eyes looking towards the horizon. "Now he's done it. He's finally showed his true hand in this game."


	19. Chapter 19 The Raging Fires Within

Ch.19 The Raging Fires Within

"We are getting her back right?" Dra'tor asked me looking up at the top part of the house. "I mean… If it had been Hatos we would've sensed him or felt him."

I turned to Hel who looked ready for orders. "Alert my brother's what happened here. When you're done with that come outside of the town."

Hel nodded before sprinting off, leaping the fence and disappearing down the gravel path. I strode out of the front gate towards one of the two exits in the town. "Come on, Dra'tor. If Hatos gets his hands on that child it'll be the end of me for sure."

"And he knows this how?" Dra'tor asked loping after me. "I thought we were the only ones who knew this?"

That sent chills down my spine then. How had he known about Sen? "He's been staking us out. Someone among us or someone that lives here maybe?"

Dra'tor and I looked to one another in deep thoughts. If my mother survived the night and came around to tell us who the person was we would get things solved faster. Rayr and Skelar were standing on one of the upper hills looking down at us. "Sell!"

"I'm going to have to use you two! Get your dad also, Skelar!" I called up to him.

"I'm already here," Skelar said arriving at a fence line near his son. "I've placed all of the Lord's on guard. Complete lock down of the town and the village."

"Good. Hatos made a low blow just now," I said still walking and not stopping. "Come on!"

The group moved to follow behind and left the town together. I figured we wouldn't be together like this until the war. I never dreamed that another one of my family members would be kidnapped once more. I called up Entai who reared in rejoice of seeing me again. I patted his muzzle welcoming him back.

It came apparent what Lones would have to do. He called up his own Nightmare and climbed atop it while Skelar sat on Rayr's back. Hel looked to me with a cocked head. "I'm sorry, Hel. I need Entai for this job also. But your strength will greatly be needed."

It was enough to change Hel's mind and run alongside me. We charged across the plains into the next town. An odd feeling was coming from there. We all felt it. It wasn't Hatos but someone different.

"My Lady!" Dra'tor called out next to me over the pounding hooves of the Nightmare's.

"I know! It's not Hatos! Has to be one of his followers!" I called back.

"Which follower would have such a sense?" Lones asked behind me.

Knives strode into the lodge slightly charred and smokey but nothing too bad. "Queen Serdra."

Serdra awoke sleepily and looked up at him. "Knives? What happened to you?"

Knives knelt down and held up the young infant. "I rescued this child from a fire. It's parents didn't make it."

Serdra's eyes widened as her hands grasped the baby. "Oh the poor dear. Oh my goodness, Knives, she's so beautiful!" Her eyes narrowed at the looks then feeling like she had seen them some place before. "Why does the baby look like I know someone?"

Knives stood then wrapping an arm around the waist of his queen and taking up Prince Anzel in the other arm. "We can dwell on that later. It's time to go."

A clattering of hooves and shouting could be heard outside as the townspeople all ran from the group that were thundering in. Serdra looked to him wondering what was happening when he picked her up and left the room with his people to protect. As he neared the entrance of the lodge a figure in a cloak of black and white stepped in the doorway making him stop. The figures eyes blazed bright red.

"How dare you harm my family and try to run. How dare you bring chaos that hasn't been controlled. How dare you kidnap what doesn't belong to you!"

Knives grinned wide showing his sharp teeth to the person that stood before him. "I've got orders. I do feel terrible for hitting Aumi like I did, but I did pray for her soul. You can't be mad at me for doing that."

I stepped through the door of the lodge, the others behind me. "Hatos wants Sen for what?"

Knives was gripped by Serdra very tightly then. "It's her! It's her! It's Sell! You brought me her little sister?! Knives, you fucking idiot!"

Knives growled at her gnashing his teeth in her face making her be quiet. "I was ordered by your husband! I will carry it out to the fullest and not a damn person will stop me!"

"I wouldn't be counting my ducks just yet," I hissed under my hood and surged forward. "I'm taking you back where you belong!"

"Stop it, sister! Our brother's wouldn't want us to fight!" Knives barked making me falter. Knives smiled under his hood and pulled the hood back with a swift nod back of his head.

I stood there clenching my teeth at him. "Who calls me a sister when you've attacked my mother and burnt down my damn house, kidnapped Sen?!" I brought out my scythe that materialized in my hands. "Don't you dare say that you are a brother of mine!"

Knives looked down at Sen with glowing eyes. "If only she could speak of the things she saw back in the house. It would be a marvelous story for the papers and all of your kind to hear."

Lones appeared behind Knives with his blade to his throat swiftly. Knives wasn't worried. He grinned wider and chuckled darkly. His eyes went to me with amusement. I could see that he was having more fun with this than any of us which didn't make sense to me.

"What's so funny? We're taking Sen back."

Serdra wiggled from his arms and grasped Sen in his other arm, wrestling her free. "Give her back, Knives! Give her back! Give them her back! I don't care what Hatos said!"

Knives looked down in surprise at what his Queen was doing. "Stupid, bitch! Stop it!"

I sprang then appearing inches away from grasping Sen as Serdra held her away from Knives. Sen's eyes wide with fright. My body reacted on its own in such circumstances and moved through the air. All was silent for a moment before a woman's scream split the air. I found myself staring into deep red eyes as I layed on the floor.

Lifting my head I saw Serdra thrashing in the man's arms that she had called Knives. A small hand grasped my purple hair that fell down over my shoulders. Looking down I saw Sen laying there beneath me smiling. "You're ok," I whispered with a smile. "Thank Notch."

"Sell!" barked Dra'tor alarmed.

I spun around to see the man upon me with a rather pissed look, his hands turning into claws and his body shaking as bones began to shift. Two huge forms collided with Knives flinging him across the room and through the lodge wall into a cloud of debri and smoke. I could make out Hel's furious growling and Rayr's snarling above the commotion when they both came flying out from the hole they had made yelping in pain. The two of them crashed on the floor and went careening out of control head over paws. I sat there in shock at the sight I had just seen.

_"That is quite enough,"_ growled a voice from the other side of the lodge wall. _"I won't stand for this any longer! May you all die to my hands!"_

I got to my feet handing Sen off to Skelar who neared me on guard. "Take her to my brother's! Don't stop, whatever you hear, see, or do!"

Skelar looked to me with worry but nodded and sprinted away with her. Serdra screamed on the floor as she bled out. "Knives! How can you just leave me here like this?! Knives!"

The figure that had growled stepped from the hole of the wall. He stood with long red hair, a horn that arched back on his left and spikey blonde hair on his right. His eye was that of an Endermen's that was slitted with anger_. "How dare you all defy me!"_

"What the hell is he?" Lones asked in a mutter.

I materialized my scythe once more. This time I could fight without having to be cautious. "Get ready Lones! On my mark!"

Lones grasped his scythe tightly arching forward, sliding a foot apart to ready himself to move.

"Three!"

Knives growled stepping forward. _"You're going to be such a damn fool to be attacking me!"_

"Two!" A ring of fire rose around me, burning hotly.

Knives sprang at me with claws outstretched. _"I'm going to rip you to pieces!"_

"One!" I barked sliding a foot back.

An explosion engulfed all of the lodge and its inhabitants, covering the sky in a massive mushroom cloud and shaking the town so bad the buildings began to crumble apart. With only thirty blocks away the explosion sent Skelar stumbling to the ground grasping Sen protectively. He turned back to see the massive explosion and cloud rise up into the sky. His eyes reflecting the leaping flames and smoke that was being emitted.

"Sell!"

The shaking made Rien open a window from the hospital room that Aumi was in and saw the massive cloud and fire in the distance. "What in hell?!"

A Lord appeared in the doorway panting. "Lord! It's Lady Sell! She's going head to head with the enemy!"

Rien turned back out the window in surprise. "She already found them?!"

Another Lord appeared behind the first one. "Lord Rien! It's Lord Skelar!"

Rien spun around with wide eyes. "What happened?!"

"He has your daughter and is coming across the fields running," the Lord replied.

"Get him here! Quickly!" Rien barked flinging an arm out.

The two Lord's hurried out of the hospital under his orders. Rien looked to that of his wife who still had a weak heartbeat. "She's saved our daughter, Aumi! Sell is stopping the man that did this to you!"

Aumi never replied. She laid there in the bed with her quiet slumber that felt so much like heaven. It was then that Rien's blood ran cold from a feeling that appeared. He turned out the window to see fiery clouds swirling over the town in the distance. His jaw opened slightly when he saw what was happening and what was creating the massive fire storm.

Lightening cracked down upon the center of the fire storm. Sparks flew and a metal screech split the air. Sell was face to face with Hatos, his scythe locked with hers. His grin splitting his face as he laughed darkly. "I see you've met my new right hand. What do you think of him?"

My eyes sparked with anger. "Hatos!"

Our blades screeched, metal upon metal, grating against one another. Hatos sneered at me with adoration. "I know what makes you tick. I'm going to use it on the battle field!"

I threw my weight against him, shoving him against the swirling fire. "No need! I don't need to be taunted to be lured from the light that shines around me! I already promised you I'd battle you again for good! You better not be the one that hides!"

Hatos barked out in laughter before turning to Knives with a look of rage. "You will be taught a lesson!"

Knives growled in defiance as the Endermen held him on the other side of the fire wall. Hatos turned back to me with burning eyes alight with only amusement. "I'll get that child again, Sell. She's going to be mine!"

I gnashed my teeth, sparks flying about me as I raged more. "You will die to me, Hatos! Got that?! No one will be touching Sen! I'll put her in the ground myself before she can do jack shit to anyone!"

Hatos burst into laughter pushing me back and leaping back through the swirling flames. He bent down picking his wife up and gave me one last glare before disappearing with Knives and the Endermen in a teleportation. I swung my scythe angrily, the fire storm dissipating as soon as it had begun. Lones and the others were lying on the ground in complete shock at what just occurred. I looked back at them with burning red eyes. "What?"

Lones, and the others shook their heads. Dra'tor took a breath before sighing. "Good thing that fire storm was directed at someone else and not all of us."

Entai reared as I neared him. Climbing into the saddle I turned to the others. "Let's go. Dra'tor, we head back to your kingdom."

"but what of your mother?" Lones asked getting to his feet.

"What about her? She's about to die. All I can do is take her where she needs to go." I replied in a firm tone as Entai walked away.

Hel and Rayr shook themselves off, limping off behind me as Dra'tor and Lones climbed on their Nightmare's, following after quietly.


	20. Chapter 20 Dear Life Lost

Ch.3 Truth Be told

Questions began to come up upon travel as we rode farther away from our village. It had been just two nights and two days since we had left. The questions were about these undead. The members were starting to wonder just what these zombies were like and would ask Clifton or the other two countless times but would get no reply. Clifton wasn't ready to tell us more yet, I could see that. From where I was in the back I could see Faustino starting to get edgy on the horse, being around so many people for a long period of time.

I picked my way around the back and moved up to the middle of the rank. Faustino noticed me after a moment and slowly maneuvered to the side of the rank with some trouble.

"What are you doing here? You know you'll get chewed out by Clif," Faustino whispered harshly.

"You're the one that isn't looking too well up here," I replied riding next to him. "You alright?"

Faustino sighed looking around. "I don't like how we're set up to be honest. They put our dads at the front and we're in the back."

I stared ahead watching the backs of the three men from the East. "They have their reasons, Faust. We can't go against that."

"They won't answer any questions either!" Faustino snapped, his voice raising a bit.

I put a hand over his mouth with a glare. "Shush. Stop being angered at them so easily. I'm a bit peeved at it too but there's something that they don't want to tell us. We'll probably find out when we get nearer to the camp."

Faustino pulled my hand away looking at me unhappy. "Hazel, what if this was a trap to take over the village?"

I gave him an odd look. "Faust, we still left men back in the village. Not all came with us you know?"

Faustino huffed in the saddle making me smile a little. "Ok. I know. I get your drift and what you're trying to tell me. Look at it like this. Would men from the East, only three of them mind you, come to our village looking like shit and tell us of these zombies?"

"It could be a lie for all we know!" Faustino hissed.

I shook my head. "It's not."

Faustino looked at me funny as I smiled and patted his arm, slowing down my horse and letting them all pass me as I retook my place in the rear. That would keep him steady for a while until we got nearer to camping, hopefully. That night he bothered and bugged me with questions as we bedded down for the night. I could tell we were getting closer and closer by the sounds around us. There were less and less sightings of animals and hardly any birds were flying through the trees.

"Ok. Seriously, Hazel, you need to tell me all that you know!" Faustino pleaded to me over his bread. "Please? You sounded like you knew something!"

I noticed a few heads turn in our direction, all waiting for a reply from me. I bit into my bread ignoring them. "It was just a crazy dream I had. A mere speculation of sorts. Just my head running wild."

Faustino wasn't buying it. He put his face close to mine. "Hazel."

We stared at one another for a moment. He knew me too well sometimes it kind of annoyed me.

"Get to the woods. Ten trees back. There's a fallen tree covered in knee high snow. I'll meet you there." I said in a low voice as I bit into my bread.

He nodded slowly and crawled away back into his place. I noticed my father and Faustino's father had noticed our discussion. They too were aware of what was going on between me and Faustino. I looked to my dad for a moment before eating the rest of my bread. Faustino had gotten up and had moved off into the woods without being noticed.

I felt that it was slightly wrong to not include everyone in this little meeting but I really didn't have a lot of information. Just the dream and a gut feeling about it all. I got to my feet and walked off into the woods where I was grabbed and shoved behind a tree by Faustino.

"Tell me, Hazel. Now!" His eyes stared into mine with desperation.

"They zigzag, weave, and run faster than us when we walk. Basically, they can over take us easily if any of us are alone. If one of us is eaten, we turn into a zombie that will attack our friends." I said staring back at him. I could tell this was seeping into him slowly.

"This was your dream?" he asked, his voice starting to go low.

I nodded back at him. A twig snapped to our left that made me draw my bow back with a loaded arrow. I saw my father and Faustino's father step out from their places. I lowered the bow and loosened the string. "Geez! You two were almost shot clean through!"

My father chuckled waving a hand. "Glad to see that you're on guard at all times. Is it all true though?"

I shrugged. "It was all just a dream but it felt real enough to me. My gut agrees too."

I watched my father nod his head. "Sometimes dreams aren't fake. They tell truth and warn us of things to come."

"If this is the truth and these zombies can do these things then we're all fucked from the start," hissed Faustino's father grasping Genaro's arm. "Gen! Are you even realizing this? Any of this?"

I watched as father shook off his friend's hand. "Yes. I'm sure Clif and the others have plans. Surely they have too."

"I don't think they've faced enough to grasp the situation, father," I said placing the arrow back in my quiver. "It only seems like they've experienced it all but I don't think they truly know about them either."

Genaro stared at me for a moment before looking away in thought. "That may be true too."

"I agree with Hazel," Faustino said finding his voice again and looking up at my father and his father. "Has she ever been wrong when she has these dreams?"

Genaro and Randy both turned to one another thinking the same thing. I had never been wrong. Genaro leaned against a pine folding his arms across his chest staring at me, his one and only daughter with a hard gaze.

"Hazel, they won't tell us until we get there. Don't you agree?"

I nodded. Our moonlight got blocked by clouds that were passing in front of it, placing us in dim blue light.

"They don't want anyone fleeing if they tell us all at once before we get there," Randy said in a low voice. "Those dirty bastards."

"I'd do the same thing but I'd give out certain pieces of information that weren't that serious until we got to the camp site," Faustino said putting his idea out there. "When we get to the campsite what do you think they'll have us do?"

"Splitting you all into certain groups that you all belong in."

We spun around to see Clifton standing there with an axe in his hand. Seeing him like that made me want to draw my bow in defense. I still didn't trust him entirely. I could tell my father, Faustino and his father weren't comfortable with him either.

"What's with the lack of information on your part?" I asked as my finger rubbed a familiar smooth spot on my bow handle. "If you don't answer them they'll start to rebel against you and leave."

Clifton nodded with a sigh. "I know this. I don't know what to tell them though. It's hard to come up with the answers and not scare them with the truth."

"How did you know about these zombies, girl?"

It was the second man from the East. I turned around to face him and saw that he had his son alongside him.

"A dream. A very detailed dream," I said looking at him.

The son stared me down hard. I could tell he was studying me with everything he had. The father moved in closer to us. Faustino took a step closer to me facing the man while our fathers stared Clifton down. The air was getting heavy with the stand-off.

"So, you've never seen nor faced these things before yet you know all about them?" asked Rusty. "Just from a simple detailed dream? That's a laugh!"

My bow string strained with an arrow ready to fly, aimed at Rusty. My eyes had narrowed and I wasn't happy about this man's personality nor his humor. "Be warned now that I take things seriously when the times need it. My dreams are sometimes humorous but the detailed ones that are important are not. This dream is not humorous one bit. People die to these zombies and all you can do is stand there and laugh at me?"

Gary drew his sword pointing it at me. "Lower the bow."

I loosened the string and pulled out another arrow to notch it in the string. I pulled the string back tight with two arrows aimed. "There's my answer to your demand. Your father is a pigs ass."

Faustino drew his sword. I heard father and Randy draw their own swords. Tension was thick now. Clifton could be heard chuckling slowly before he burst into rumbling laughter.

"Such promise with these four, Rusty!"

Rusty and his son Gary remained where they were. Gary, not happy with what I had said about his father and rusty not enjoying the arrows pointed at him or his son.

"The bitch has a mouth that'll get her killed. Not just by the zombies but by us too."

"Oh, the pigass has some backbone, does he?" I scoffed with a smile at the corner of my mouth. "Such big words for someone that doesn't carry a weapon when going into the woods."

"He doesn't need a weapon when I accompany him everywhere," Gary spat back sliding his foot forward. "Now, I'll tell you again. Lower your bow and two arrows."

The sound of rustling foot could be heard as the others overheard Gary's raised voice. They all surrounded us in bewilderment and surprise.

"What's going on?"

"Why are they dueling?"

"Gary's angry at Genaro's daughter! What did she do?"

"Genaro and Randy are also going to fight? I thought those two would have cooler heads?"

"Genaro! You need a hand?" asked a female in the crowd.

It was Tania. I can recognize her voice anywhere. I smiled with a slight chuckle as I stared down Gary. "Look here. It's one thing to demand and another to ask. Since everyone is here, you all might as well tell them the full story or _I'll do it for you_!"

The villagers stood there wondering what was to be said to them. Tania pushed her way to the front to look at all of us.

"Hazel, what's with the stick up? He piss you off or something?"

Gary, rusty, and Clifton were all hesitating about the truth. I lowered my bow and two arrows turning to them all. "Attention to all villagers! There's some information that hasn't been told to all of us! It's a delicate and touchy subject but I want you all to hear me out before you decide anything!"

The villagers bustled about one another to get closer to hear the announcement. I looked about for a higher place to be heard and climbed a pine.

"These men have been keeping information from us! Vital information! Information that could help us survive out here!"

All eyes looked at Rusty, Gary, and Clifton as they fidgeted.

"These zombies are enhanced and are smarter than the average ones that we've been facing for years now! They sharper hearing, keener smell, and they are smarter! They can weave, zigzag, follow and run after us!"

The villagers all went silent in shock. Even the scouts.

"I've seen them in a dream. I was within someone that was stalking through the woods wondering where they would be coming from when a panicked person came upon me screaming and lured the zombies right at me where we were both devoured and turned into zombies."

"Why didn't they tell us this back at the village?"

"Why haven't they told us anything at all?"

"Cowards! That's what they are!"

"Why are we following them to a death trap for? Let's go home!"

"Yeah! It's not worth facing things that have evolved into something much more dangerous!"

I notched an arrow and let it fly over the heads of the ones that were starting to turn away. It buried itself in a pine trunk with a deep loud _thunk_ that made the ones at the front stop in surprise.

"It's not like you all to give up and turn away from a cry of help!" I called out to them. "You call these men cowards for not speaking up but you all are cowards yourselves for turning away and going back home!"

"We trusted them!"

"Yeah! The damn bunch of pigs feet!"

I let another arrow fly and bury itself in a pink trunk closest to the catcallers. They went silent.

"When have you ever trusted these men? You've just met them! There's no reason to trust them just yet!" I snapped at them pulling out another arrow from my quiver and setting it in the bow string. "We haven't even gotten to the camp and you're all turning and tucking tail! You bunch of pussy mutts!"

"How would our leader think of us if we returned home without a scratch on us?" said another voice.

I looked up to see Faustino in a separate pine tree. He looked over to me with thumbs up. I smiled turning back to the villagers.

"Hazel and Faustino have a point. Hazel with more though!" barked Tania. "We're warriors, fighters, and scouts! We're the best things to come from a village to fight these zombies! Let's make something of ourselves!"

The villagers all looked at one another and talked out loud amongst themselves unsure if this was a good idea. Tania was trying to convince them as hard as we were. Shooting arrows at them wouldn't make them decide any faster as much as I wanted to do that. Clifton turned to them then with a solemn look on his face.

"I apologize for not telling the truth. I know that I'm the leader and this isn't the right way to go about this to gain all of your trust. We really need you all to help our cause. Innocent people are going to die and I need more people to go out and tell them about this problem."

"There was one that left a few nights ago," I said turning to him. "He was the one that was taken down by the innocent person."

Clifton sighed and looked at the ground. "We have no other choice in the way things are going. Even if you leave here you'll have to fight the zombies in your town's or villages too. They are multiplying everyday with each person they eat. Just imagine if ten zombies got loose into a village. Think of the mayhem and the creation of many more zombies. Think about them being your loved ones."

Everyone stood in shocked silence. This hadn't crossed anyone's mind. I leaned on the tree trunk with a frown on my face. Now everything would be harder. It was all the truth though.

There was nothing pretty about any of this. Everyone stared out towards Clifton in saddened and fearful silence. Tania moved first amongst the others.

"If it's to protect and stop the growing population, I'm in. If it's to create an army to go to war and not fight these zombies then you can count me out. But what Hazel said, seeing this man going about on his travels to spread the word and got attacked, it seems that these zombies are for real."

Clifton, Gary, and Rusty all nodded. "They are most definitely real."

Gary stepped forward lowering his weapon. "They haven't made it this far yet. We're lucky. The next six hundred blocks, we'll be in their territory. This is the last night for peaceful sleep. Keep that in mind."

It seemed that everyone had decided in silence. They would all stay to fight, to protect their loved ones from these horrific things. Gary, Rusty, and Clifton all put their weapons and things away, showing no hostility that had been towards us. I and Faustino climbed out of the pine trees to the ground below. Rusty gave me a glare as did Gary before they both turned and passed through the people heading to the camp.

Faustino came to my side to clap me on the back. "Nicely done. That was a good stand off there."

I turned to him with an unsettling look. "I don't trust them, Faust. I don't trust them at all."

Father over heard me, putting his sword away. "Keep an eye out, Hazel. Don't drop your guard. I have the same feeling that you do."

Faustino and his father could only agree in some aspects that they weren't so sure about but it was enough to say that the father and son duo were a problem that needed to be kept an eye on at all times. As we trudged through the snow beneath the pines Faustino cleared his throat slightly. I looked up to see Gary roll off a pine tree and head off back towards the camp. Where had the father gone? Rusty was a clever man and that along with having a son or any sort of help was problematic to the four of us.

Tania came walking towards me with a smile. "I don't know what you did back there but that trouble that you started was a good idea. You brought out the entire truth from them. That was great. Both you and Faustino are a great pair."

I shook my head to her stepping past. "Thanks, Tania but it wasn't my intentions at all. I don't trust the father and son. They jumped right into a fight with me."

Tania bit her bottom lip following after behind me. "I've heard things about these two from the other town. I'll tell you about it when we go to check the horses."

Faustino flicked his eyes towards her for a thoughtful moment before looking back to the front. _Gary and Rusty huh? I'll have to put them on my list to check. Hazel's right about a few things. Those two can't be trusted when they are near one another._


	21. Chapter 21 Internally Personal

Ch.21 Internally Personal

Lady Ananon stood there looking to me and her mother. "Sell, it's time that you returned to the living to talk about the things that were discussed. You also have insight on a few things, do you not?"

I nodded my head. "I do. It hits close to home but not all the way. Mother told me of her previous marriage and a son that she had before meeting my father. The man that I fought tonight, whom Hatos saved from me, was my half-brother. His name was Mor'van. Her husband back then was Sovor. Somehow, I'm not sure though, this all connects in some way."

Lady Ananon and her mother looked to one another. Their thoughts questioning. "It's getting very complex."

"Mother also said that Mor'van had said that he was a Lost Soul. He had died some way when Hatos revived him. How he died, I don't know. Mother didn't know either. I don't know whom to go after first, Socaza or Sovor?" I sighed rubbing my temples. "This is getting much bigger than I anticipated."

Lyrena grasped my shoulders gently. "Sell, I know you'll find the answers through time. Just don't push yourself too much. Sometimes the answers can be right in front of us and we don't know it."

I nodded, understanding what she was trying to do. "I'm going back now. You two take care and be watchful. We don't know how Hatos got this information but that information was only said here."

Lyrena nodded looking firm. "We will. We won't let our guard down until this is solved."

"Take care, Sell." Smiled Lady Ananon. "You did well today."

I smiled bowing my head to her praise. "Thank you. I had to do it. My father didn't have the strength."

Lady Ananon hugged me before stepping away once more. "We'll do our part here. Don't worry."

I closed my eyes and was sent back to the living world. My brothers crying and my father in his own corner of the room. I stood slowly; my legs had gone to sleep due to my position on the side of the bed. "It's done. She's passed to the other side."

I turned to look at Dra'tor and Hel who stood out in the hallway. "I've got news. It's bad."

Dra'tor looked to Hel who raised a brow. My father took a step from his corner. "What's happened?"

"Father, call a meeting at once among the Lord's. This war is getting much worse in so many ways that I cannot fathom." I look to him with a dreaded expression. My eyes a cold purple. "We don't have much time."

My brother's stifled their sobs, wondering what was going to happen. I turned to them with a softer expression. "Go home and deal with Sen. We need to do something."

Father handed Sen to Toc who cradled her closely. He looked to me with fear. "What if they return for her?"

I smirked at him. "I don't think Hatos will be back if he's got a punching bag to train."

"Besides, Sell was about to own them both," spoke Dra'tor. "Hatos decided to pull out and not waste energy. It's good that he did, we'll have more time for the others to train a bit more."

The doctor came in with his nurses and wheeled mother away to the coroner's office. A lump formed in my throat as I watched them walk away. A hand on my shoulder made me turn to see father standing there. He gently smiled to me. "Thank you. She was at ease with you there."

I sidled up to my father's side resting on him. "She would've been happy with all of us there but you couldn't go. I sensed how hard it was from you."

"You have a strength that I do not have. That's dealing with the dead." Rien said softly kissing the top of my head. "I'm so proud of you."

"Are we going to the meeting or not?" Lones asked, slightly impatient towards us.

"Yes. Let's get this information to them quickly," I said moving away from father's side. "Hel, take me around the town for a quick bit. I want to do a checkup."

Hel looked at me oddly but shrugged. He was ok with that. Dra'tor stepped alongside of me. "Should I go with you? Two eyes are better than one."

"No. It'll be alright. I need to be alone with Hel." I said looking at him.

Dra'tor watched us leave ahead of everyone else and turned to Rien. "Why does she need to do a checkup? Isn't the town safe for the time being?"

Rien smiled walking past him with Lones following behind. "There's no telling what's going on in her head. If Hel is going with her he's in some way involved."

Dra'tor scratched his head wondering what was going on but left it be and headed off with Rien. Toc and Des left behind them and headed home with a sleeping Sen.

I stood on the tallest hill that was located near the town. Hel, in his werewolf form sitting on the ground looking out at the horizon. _"What's on your mind?"_

"Hatos can somehow get into the Aether. He knew about Sen's prophecy. It was only said in the Aether to me by Queen Lyrena and Lady Ananon." I looked to him uncertain. "I don't like this, Hel. It's getting far worse."

Hel growled lowly placing his muzzle atop of my head. _"Hatos has many tricks. We know that. Why are you feeling so scared of all that he's doing? Look at yourself, Sell. Is this what he wants from you?"_

I placed a hand on his muzzle and sighed. "I don't know anymore. I told Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena that I knew what I was doing but…I'm a bit lost to be honest. He's targeting the ones we love."

_"As do all evil beings that want to destroy their greatest enemy,"_ growled Hel who raised his head to look out towards the town. _"You're his biggest enemy yet you're doubting what you do every step of the way now. Is Hatos really getting to you that much?"_

"Am I over thinking?" I asked looking up at him. "I can't tell if I'm over doing things or not. I thought I was covering everything that Hatos was going to try and get but I think I've failed at that. He still has a lot of our own kind at his fingertips. He has more enemies than we have allies."

Hel got to his feet with a snort. He began to pad away from me. _"If you're thinking like that then the war is no place for you."_

I scrambled to my feet quickly. "Wait! What are you talking about? I'm just depressed about stuff! Hel, don't you see that?!"

Hel whirled on me rising on his hind legs to tower over me snarling. _"I know you better than this! You wouldn't let trifling things such as all of this get to you so easily!"_ He lowered his head to bring it face to face with mine. _"What are you truly thinking about, Sell? Stop giving me this cover up bullshit!"_

"You're right. You know me well," I frowned collapsing on the ground to look at my feet. "I can see the war in my head. Just how many lives are going to be lost. I know the entire total of everything but the future of it is still not known. That's what I'm worried about but also of all the people in the war."

_"If they die then it was meant to be,"_ Hel replied crouching beside me_. "As harsh as that sounds it's the truth. We can't hide from it."_

"The frontlines will have the ogres. They'll batter and beat our own. The skeletons and long range attacks will be at the back. Zombies will be in the middle. Ghasts will be flying in the sky along with the dragons and their riders. Hatos won't be there though. It'll be my half-brother commanding it all."

_"Half-brother?"_ growled Hel looking to me. _"What half-brother?"_

"Mother had a previous family before meeting dad. She had one son. He was called Mor'van. He is now what Hatos called Knives after reviving him from being a Lost Soul."

Hel stared at me in silence, thinking this information over. _"Hatos has done some checking it seems. I wonder what else he's done?"_

"We'll find out on the battlefield no doubt." I sighed getting to my feet. "When I lose my abilities what will you do? I won't need you to protect me anymore. When you're in werewolf form I won't be able to understand you either."

Hel's face went steely. _"We'll decide then. Right now, you need more training with Dra'tor. It's helped you greatly."_

I climbed onto Hel's back. It was time to return for the meeting. "Hel, if I die fighting Hatos, you must finish the job for me. Got it?"

Hel narrowed his eyes as he trotted across the grass. He finally growled. _"I will do my best."_

We arrived back to the town and ducked into the meeting room quietly. Most of the Lord's had arrived. It was plenty to start the meeting with. All eyes turned towards me as I walked to the podium. My father standing back for me. "Attention all Lords!"

The room went dead silent for me, sensing the urgency of the meeting tonight. I continued. "I have just done something very tough tonight and I hope I'll never have to do it again for quite some time. Hatos sent someone to kill my mother and take my sister away. Before I returned here, I had gone to the Aether to visit Lady Ananon and her mother to discuss a few things on the war. I found out that my sister Sen had a prophecy on her.

"The very same one that was given to me."

The Lord's whispered in shock at this. I cleared my throat before going on. "She was supposed to be the new Lady but this was unknown at the time. Since I came before her, Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena gave the title to me since I had Skeletal Being abilities. What they didn't know was that my abilities are not permanent."

The Lord's stared at me in shocked silence.

"What do you mean not permanent?" asked a lord.

"I mean I'm genetically altered," I replied, a lump forming in my throat.

The room felt uneasy then. The Lord's looked to one another and back to me with uncertainty, surprise, and worry.

"I don't know when I'll lose my abilities but I will fight as hard as I can to end this war before that happens. This wasn't the main thing I wanted to discuss though. There was a spy in the Aether that overheard the conversation between me, Lady Ananon, and her mother. Hatos knew of this prophecy when we fought a little bit ago to save my sister from Knives, who is my half-brother."

That was the information that sent the room spinning. No one knew what I was talking about now. "Go back. What did this have to do with your mom, sister, and Hatos? Who is Knives? How is he your half- brother?"

Father also looked like he had been struck with a brick. I sighed shakily. This was going to be difficult to explain fully. "Hatos ordered Knives to kill my mother and bring him Sen. He had sent someone to the Aether to look over Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena and overheard our conversation. My mother, before she met my father, had a previous marriage to a man called Sovor. They had a son called Mor'van. Mor'van died somehow and became a Lost Soul.

"Hatos found him and revived him, who is now called Knives. He and I fought in the neighboring town as I was trying to save Sen. Hatos came and pulled Knives back to where ever they are located at the moment which is unknown to me."

The Lords were still silent as they processed all this. "So, you're fighting your half-brother and Hatos now? Basically this entire war is personal to you?"

I shrugged. "It seems like it but it wasn't at first. Hatos is targeting things around me. He's doing a damn good job of it too."

Father stepped forward after getting over his shock. "So we have more than one person to worry about now?"

"We have several to worry about but four of them are personal to me. Hatos, Socaza, Sovor, and Knives. Somehow they're all linked to one another even before all of this happened. It's what I get from it all; A feeling." I looked to father with bright purple eyes. "I'm going back to train with Dra'tor. While I'm doing that I'm going to try and get more information. This will be the last time everyone sees me tonight. I'll be seen again at the war."

Father nodded. "Anything else?"

I looked at the Lord's thinking. "Leave Toc and Des here to watch the baby. Send Hel out. That's an order."

Hel sat in his seat surprised. "How did you know about his plans?!"

"You hesitated when I asked you to finish Hatos if I died to him. I figured father had forced you into something. I was right." I smiled looking from Hel to father. "Give Hel back his collar on the day you leave. I'll need him for something." I looked back towards the Lord's, my eyes falling upon Skelar. "Skelar, have Rayr stand beside Hel on the front lines. They'll be needed there greatly."

Skelar nodded to me understanding the orders. "I will."

Father stood there staring at me. "You know more than what you're letting out tonight. Why?"

"It's not needed to say everything at once right now," I replied darkly turning to him with darkened eyes. "You'll find out at the war. I promise nothing bad will happen straight away. I'll try to be there before anything big happens."

I could see father shiver from my actions. He finally nodded as I slowly moved away from the podium. "Let's go, Dra'tor. We got things to do."

Dra'tor nodded to Rien before stepping out of the room and shutting the iron door behind us with a bang.


	22. Chapter 22 Crown and Power

Ch.22 Crown and Power

Hatos flung Knives across the room with a yell of anger. "You idiot! What in hell did you think you were doing?! I didn't tell you to go that fucking far!"

Serdra laid at Hatos's feet bawling. "Hatos! My arm!"

Hatos took up his wife and headed for the witches that he was keeping locked up. "Stay put, Knives! I'm not done with you!"

Knives grimaced at the slamming of the doors as Hatos strode through the old base deep under the ground. He narrowed his eyes and strode over to the lava pool that bubbled and hissed. "How did I fuck up? I could've taken her! If you didn't have your fucking wife to tag along with me everything would've been fine!"

An Enderman appeared at the door holding something within its hands. It gurgled to Knives making him turn around. "You found it? Where was it?"

The Enderman gurgled turning its head. _"A place far away. It was in the coliseum in the clouds."_

"The Aether?!" gasped Knives taking the item, a sword with a curved lower portion.. "How did you get to the Aether?!"

The Enderman gurgled a chuckle. _"The portal of course. What? You didn't know?"_

"Hatos never told me about a portal to the Aether," Knives said shaking his head in surprise. He took the item thinking. "Watch the portal. Tell me who goes and comes from it. Got that?"

The Enderman nodded its head. _"Got it. Is this bad? The information I just gave you?"_

Knives shook his head. "No. It's not bad. It's good! You've told me something very important that was being kept from me. Hatos is up to something and I want to know what." Knives placed a hand on the Enderman's arm. "Watch the portal but keep out of sight."

The Enderman teleported away leaving Knives alone in the room. He looked down at the sword with a grin. "So it shall begin. A new trial for all will be born."

Hatos returned to the room after dealing with his wife. He looked around the room for Knives but didn't see him there. "Where in hell did he go now?! I told him to stay!"

"But I did stay," chuckled Knives from behind Hatos.

Hatos whirled around in surprise at him. "Stop hiding from me! Do you know why I'm so pissed off at you?!"

"Because we disagree on everything and Sell does have a weakness. You just did a really low blow. All we got to do is wait. I suppose this war will do the job of waiting a lot quicker though , so it's all good." Knives said grinning. "But of course, you want all the credit for having these plans, don't you?"

Hatos glared at him not sure of what he was talking about. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you have run out of ideas on how to bring Sell to her knees." Knives spoke darkly stepping towards Hatos. "You know that I'm right. I just made a stupid mistake that would've cost me my life. I'm glad you saved me but I wouldn't be getting pissed just yet. I've made a discovery."

Hatos narrowed his eyes at him. What was he planning now? "What's in it for me?"

"Sen," Knives replied walking to the lava pool. "But of course, you must hear me out fully before doing anything more. It's crucial that you hear me out."

Hatos snorted with a laugh. "As if I'm going to do as you say. I'm your King!"

"So is another man that thinks the same way," Knives said with eyes glowing.

Hatos stood there in silence staring at Knives' back. "Another man? Socaza?"

"He's not part of this man. He's not even related to this man. He doesn't have connections with Sell at all but he did have connections with her mother. He has connections to me. Therefore he's a good person to put into the plans. Another mighty chess piece. The rook per say?" Knives looked over his shoulder at Hatos with a sly grin.

"Sovor?" Hatos asked him, thinking over the man. "He's hardly anything compared to me!"

"Sell and the others don't know that," Knives chuckled with narrowed eyes. "You get what I'm saying now?"

Hatos sighed and turned away towards the door. "Do as you wish but do not combat Sell alone again! You understand me?!"

"This is only to make them stall enough for us to win over the playing field and crush them in the war," Knives replied with a bow. "I'll be making my way to see my father then. He won't recognize me. Thank you for that."

Hatos stopped as it suddenly hit him. He spun around to find that Knives wasn't there any longer. He bared his teeth in anger. _'He's been planning this shit from the get go! Son of a bitch!'_

Hatos spun around and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him. "I'm going to fuck him over if he fucks up again! Fucking bastard, Knives!"

I and Dra'tor galloped across the prairie hills on the backs of our Nightmare's. They were both in good spirits. We were heading out towards Dra'tor's kingdom. Another day and we'd be reaching its borders. Lucky for us, if we were walking, it'd take us a whole month to reach it but with Nightmare's traveling abilities it takes far less time.

To get to his Kingdom we would have to travel through the mountains. We were coming up on them very quickly. My memory went back to Los and her sisters. I tightened my grip on the reigns as I recalled the sisters that Hatos had taken as hostages and controlled them. _'That bastard will pay for all the things he's done to people and families!'_

"Sell?" Dra'tor asked near me.

I turned to him in a daze. "Huh?"

"You looked mad for a moment there. Something wrong?" Dra'tor asked as we galloped. "Thinking about Hatos?"

"Yeah. Thinking about Los's sisters that were taken by Hatos. I saw them when I went to the Nether that day to fight and get my brother back. They were under Hatos's control back then. I didn't know but I was wondering why they were there. I wish I had set them free back then." I stared out at the mountains as they were rearing up over us. "I'll get them back this time."

Dra'tor smiled turning back forward. "I've got something to teach you. It'll help you. I'm going to teach you an old ability that was lost in time."

I looked to him intrigued by this. "What's that?"

Dra'tor chuckled holding up a finger. "You'll have to wait until we get back. I can show you how to forge one and create your scythe into this sword also. It packs a really powerful punch. If you do it right it'll tell you it's actual name. No one has called upon it in ages though."

"I'll call upon it! I'll make it come from its slumber and fight!" I said energetically holding up a fist.

Dra'tor smiled wider. It was what he wanted to hear. He knew the ability himself but was nowhere near calling upon the sword. It needed a strong and blazing will to depend on. Sell no doubt had it. It emanated from her. _'May the land see the Eternal Flame and be comforted. It has found its final home and will not leave until it's life is extinguished in its final fight against the darkness that creeps across the lands.'_ Dra'tor recalled the scripture that his father had spoken to him many times over. He wondered if it would truly be Sell or her sister Sen? If it was going to be Sen then they would be in a great deal of trouble if the sword was in her hands. Hopefully she wouldn't fall in the bad side of life.

The two Nightmare's reached the bottom of the mountains. I took the lead, trotting towards the steep pathway that ran through the mountains. A small secluded mountain village was located some place in the middle of the great pass. The people were supposed to be peace going and none threatening. The sound of charging hooves alerted Dra'tor who stopped his Nightmare.

I moved my mount aside in time to see an odd horse with a rider thundering past us off the steep pass. I and Dra'tor turned our mounts around to watch the rider thunder off across the prairie land without looking back.

"Wonder what their rush is? Did you see the horse?" I asked looking at Dra'tor.

Dra'tor was still staring at the person on horseback that was racing away. "Sell, let's get up the mountain pass. Quickly. Hurry now!"

I wasn't sure why he was in such a mood all of a sudden but we urged our Nightmare's into a rapid pace up the slope. Halfway there we could smell smoke. Something was burning.

"I don't think that's a wood fire cooking food," I muttered aloud.

"Nope." Dra'tor replied as he flanked on my left.

We thundered up the slope along the ridgeback of one of the mountains and paused on a viewing area to see black smoke curling up into the sky. I could feel dread coming from that direction and spurred Entai faster. "Hurry! They need help!"

Entai reared surging forward, his hooves striking sparks on the rocks that he trampled across. Dra'tor and his Nightmare close behind us. We rounded the bend in the pass to come upon the scene of something horrific. Entai and Dra'tor's Nightmare reared crying out and prancing nervously with fear. I slid from his back grasping my iron sword out of its sheath. The people that once lived here were now littered across the ground. Their blood trailed everywhere. I looked at the ground seeing all of the horse tracks. There must've been a dozen people here.

"What the fuck happened?" whispered Dra'tor in shock. "Sell…? Did that person do this?"

"No. There was more than just that person here. There were at least a dozen. From the looks of all the tracks they had horses that could fly. Similar to Entai and yours. Yet the hooves are shaped differently." I looked at the ground saying this before looking up to the sky scanning about. "Pegasus."

"Pegasus? Those are so rare though!" Dra'tor exclaimed looking at all the slaughter. "What place breeds that many though?"

"I don't know," I sighed looking at him unsure of it all. "It's just another puzzle to solve before the war. I don't know if this is even Hatos or not. The slaughter looks like his doing but the idea behind all of this doesn't seem at all his sort of thing."

"Not flashy at all," Dra'tor muttered folding his arms. "Who else could've done this?"

I shrugged out of options on which it could be. "Get a shovel. We'll be burying folks before we can head out anywhere."

As we buried the dead and gone a flock of crows flew overhead cawing as the sun was going down. Some landed on the rooftops staring at us while the others flew away cawing into the distance. When everything was done we placed flowers on the grave that we found out along the pass and prayed for them. I straightened after I had finished and looked at the now empty houses. I wondered if the killers had taken anything from the houses or had left a note of some kind. Opening the door of one house I saw a gruesome note that had been left in the people's blood smeared across the wall. I felt myself hit the door and grasp it for support.

"Sell!" Dra'tor called out rushing to my side and halted, his eyes focusing on the blood. "Holy shit…"

My hand covered my mouth as tears filled my eyes. "How could they do this to these people? For what reason?!"

Dra'tor stepped past me to read the words on the wall. "I am calamity, I am stray arrows flying through the dark sky, I am a deathly plague, I am the wild beast of the night. I will strike terror in women and children and strike down their men; I will reign over all with the sword and scatter all! I will taunt the enemy that stands before me with a grinning face and wild eyes. I say when their day of disaster is near, I will make them loose footing and topple to their death! Slaves or free men, it doesn't matter to me, they all are mine!

"I put to death and I can bring to life again as many times as I want!"

"May all of my blood prevail and march across the land with a cloak of fire and ash." I whispered the last part that hadn't been written on the wall. "It's the creed…"

"The creed?" Dra'tor asked looking to me with a raised brow. "What creed?"

I looked at him puzzled. "You don't know about the creed? You're Skeletal Being within hasn't spoken to you about it?"

"No. I don't get close to mine much." Dra'tor looked down at the ground.

I could tell that he thought himself weak to his other side. "It's fine. It's the creed that Skeletal Beings within us created long, long ago. I don't know who this is that wrote this but this person is aware of our creed."

"Meaning it knows about us or is one of us?" Dra'tor asked.

"Could be any of that." I replied looking at the creed. "It could also be something entirely different. One of us could be genetically altered to a higher scale for evil."

"Knives?" Dra'tor asked me looking at the creed. "This does look like something he'd do."

I looked at all of the remaining blood from the bodies. "He had reason to kill mother. This time there was no reason to kill these people. I saw no reason. This was just cold blood on their behalf."

"So it wasn't Knives…" sighed Dra'tor scratching his head. "Ugh. We have another enemy now?!"

"Seems so," I muttered leaving the house. "Look around more for anything."

We divided the houses amongst ourselves and searched for anything else that would give us a clue but found nothing else. Standing in the middle of the village out of clues and lost on everything that had happened there all we could do was get on our Nightmare's and leave for Dra'tor's kingdom. As we left I looked back towards the graves that we had dug. They would no doubt be Lost Souls. Just like Hymn. _'When this war is over and my powers are on the brink of leaving me, I'll journey to the Between and lead the Lost Souls to the light. I swear on it.'_

Knives sat in his throne alongside Hatos's right hand. He tilted the newly acquired blade into the filtered light from above. "It's all going well. So well in fact that Sell has no clue on who to focus on!"

Hatos and Knives shared a laugh at this. "You've done this all very well. I praise you on your work! Now, what's next?"

Knives looked to Hatos with a grin and snapped his fingers. An Enderman appeared holding a second sword. Hatos looked upon the glowing blade that was in the grasp of the Enderman. He looked to Knives who nodded his head. Hatos took the sword from the Enderman with awe.

"What a marvelous sword. Where did you get it?" Hatos asked.

"In a dungeon far, far away. Lady Snanon and her mother have been hiding these great treasures from all." Knives said resting his head on his fist, eyeing Hatos.

Hatos looked to him surprised. "In the Aether?! That's not possible!"

"Oh, but it is. You had those portals made by the portal maker," Knives said shifting himself in his seat before getting up. "I don't know your reason behind this but I can give a guess or two. Have your fun."

Hatos looked at the back of Knives as he left him. He looked to the sword that he had been searching for. The Blade of the Hero. The unbreakable sword that had been crafted years and years ago. He took the strap, placing it over a shoulder at an angle and got to his feet. "It's time that all was turned upside down. May they face the fires of the Nether after only staring at the Aether for all these years. May they enjoy our view of death while being destroyed by their ideals!"

Hatos walked down the path of the throne room laughing aloud at his plot for utter destruction and death. He was glad that he had created Knives. Everything was starting to turn around in favor of death and destruction, just how Hatos liked it.


	23. Chapter 23 Bane of Existance

Ch.23 Bane of Existance

We arrived at Dra'tor's kingdom that was beyond the mountains and on a little further. We never stopped for a moment further. We hit the floor in all out training. As Dra'tor had ordered me, I cleared my head of all thoughts that I had on anything and anyone. Focused solely on the training that he was giving me.

I lost myself in the training, only thinking about the ability to call out a new weapon. A sword that was used by the very first Skeletal Being that had ever been made.

Hatos stood before the glowstone arranged into a portal shape with the dark purple void spiraling about within it. This was the portal to the Aether. The portal that the portal maker Socaza had created. He grinned wide before stepping into the swirling purple void that transported him away from the living. He arrived on the other side with pastel colors all around him.

The air there was different than the living. It had finally all come to his dream. The dream of being there in the Aether coming face to face with his wife and daughter once more. He began shaking with excitement and burst into hysterical laughter at it all. Controlling himself once more, he found the path that wound about through the clouds and off into the distance.

As he walked through the Aether, he couldn't grasp how easy that it had been to get there. Just how it was so easy to create a portal to the Nether and pass through! The Aether was a whole new dimension for him. Everything about it was so interesting and new. Gold trees, flying ancient birds, odd colored sheep, flying pigs and cows!

This world was just so full of cheery and gentleness that it made him want to destroy it all the more. _"It's time to bring Hell to Heaven!"_

He called upon his mount, which appeared half a head taller than him. Its pitch black coat and bat wings made it look like something from a fairytale. It turned its head to him with a snort. It was Hatos's horse that he found one night. He called it a bat horse.

He pulled himself into the saddle and urged it down the gold road. It galloped down the gold road with a deep whinny spreading its wings and taking off. An Aerwhale soared over them which Hatos slashed open from the bottom with his scythe. The Aerwhale cried out in pain and began its descent into a floating island. Hatos chuckled with eyes glowing brightly.

_"I can't believe this is truly happening!"_ Hatos exclaimed as his bat horse soared through the air. _"This was so easy yet it took that bastard so long to figure out a way here! Oh well, time can only help us or hinder us in the end. Now, where is my lovely ex- wife and daughter at? Daddy's here!"_

The bat horse whinnied flying through the pastel sky. In the distance ahead Hatos could make out a gold coliseum with angels around it. He smirked spinning his scythe. _"There's a good place to start!"_

The Valkyrie's came surging from the coliseum like a hive of bee's. They yelled out their battle calls which sounded like siren's singing. Hatos could only relish the thought of killing angels before. Now he could enjoy it thoroughly. One by one each Valkyrie met its death to Hatos's scythe blade and dropped like a stone from the sky, plummeting all the way down to the living world of Minecraft.

The black bat horse snorted as its hooves touched down on the decorated stone tile of the road that led up to the coliseum. His scythe blade resting on his shoulder as the bat horse walked towards the coliseum. Hatos thought he'd take his time, let his daughter and ex-wife have a moment together. Discuss their memories and what they cherished before he tore to all to pieces once again.

_"Go to the Fiery Nether,_

_All feel my power;_

_My inside conflict,_

_Watch me for an hour in bitter time;_

_My grief and pain I will not turn away,_

_You will learn to worship me from that day._

_Follow me to the Aether,_

_View the world of Notch's creation;_

_How our God pained through all of his creations!_

_How he casts out pain, suffering, loss, and shame,_

_How he teaches us to worship him._

_A cavalry marches across the living land,_

_There, slaving at my feet,_

_Marks the chaos of time,_

_A Lady's sacrifice complete;_

_"It's been done by my hands!" I cry out;_

_You will learn to die by me."_

The bat horse stood in the great hall of the coliseum, nickering towards Lady Ananon and her mother Lyra. Her mother stared stony faced at Hatos's singing. "How did you get here, Hatos?"

Hatos looked to his ex-wife with a smile. _"Portal of course. Don't you know? Or have you been oblivious to everything and drinking holy water in the stars this entire time?"_

The bat horse snorted as it felt its rider's nudge on its side and stepped forward. Its hooves echoing around the room. Queen Lyra got to her feet slowly, a sword of greatness appearing in her right hand. "I've heard from Lady Sell. You knew all about Sen and her prophecy. Sell caught on to that and wondered if there had been a spy in here."

"She was right to assume it to be you," Ananon spoke up standing alongside her mother. "Why are you wanting an infant that can barely understand life?"

Hatos's eyes flashed. _"Because Sell won't be having her abilities once I get rid of certain people. You two are the only ones that are keeping her powered now, am I right?"_

Queen Lyrena and Ananon stared back in uneasy silence. Hatos smiled wide. _"Without the two of you she won't have much to fight with in the war."_

Queen Lyrena snorted. "Fool! Her time was going to run out either way! Not because of us."

_"Such lies you've spun to her,"_ Hatos chuckled. _"Such black hearted bitches that live in the Aether."_

"We can only give out so much information," Lady Ananon said defensively. "Even you are bound by certain words and information that you can't give out!"

Hatos stared at his daughter with narrowed eyes. _"Repulsive, child. You and those brains of yours."_

"Would you truly want to unbalance what's been balanced by our creator? Do you truly want to upset the heavens just to get your fix?" Queen Lyrena asked with an icy tone. "You, I, and our daughter were chosen long before we were born to take these positions. You are abusing your powers and laws that abide you, Hatos!"

Hatos spat at her. _"Shut up! We were never bound by anything! I had free rule on everything and any place I went! What the fuck are you talking about?!"_

Lady Ananon produced a paper that was rolled up and let it unroll its self. "Unpon the Decree of Notch and the watcher, Herobrine; The Aether is to be held as the most high and place souls they believe to be pure enough to go on the other side. Failure to do so will cause a corruption of the Between and a chasm will result in this abuse of power. World Reset will commence and new Aether Guardians will be chosen."

Hatos laughed at this. _"Then a chasm it is then!"_

Queen Lyrena raised her glorious heavenly blue sword to him with anger and disgust. "We are to uphold the defense of Heaven and cast you out. How dare you try to destroy the world!"

_"World Reset means no more Sell and the annoying Skeletal Beings!"_ grinned Hatos. _"It also means no more of you two."_

"It also means you will be gone also," Queen Lyrena said smugly. "Idiot."

_"I will always be reborn as something better,"_ Hatos replied with a smile.

Queen Lyrena stepped down the stairs that led up to her throne. "That's enough of this talk. There will be no World Reset and no chasms to cause it! I'm going to kill you myself!"

Hatos sprang from the back of his steed which pranced and reared pawing the air as it cried out. He touched the ground with toes before launching himself at the Queen. His scythe changing shape with a glowing and shimmering effect. It shivered and clashed against Queen Lyrena's as a hellish looking sword. The blade two different colors, red merged into black.

_"My Blood Sword will take your life!" _hisses Hatos as the two swords grated against one another.

Queen Lyrena smiled at his threat. "Just try, Hatos."

"Mother!" Lady Ananon called out watching them duel.

"Get to Sell, Ana!" Lyrena ordered over her shoulder.

Lady Ananon fled from the coliseum, her dress flowing behind her._ Sell! Hatos has come at last!_

A Moa was standing outside on the path with its head tucked under its wing resting when Lady Ananon startled it from its slumber with her running. She vaulted onto its back and kicked it into full sprint down the pathway. "I need to get to Lady Sell! She must be told!"

A dark shadow overtook them, the moa squawked in shocked fear as it looked up at an angle. Lady Ananon looked up behind them and gasped as she was taken down by the figure.

As Dra'tor clashed violently against me with his sword, sparks flashed between us illuminating his eyes. Before I knew what had happened the ground rushed up and met me.

"Sell!" Dra'tor cried out dropping his sword and grabbing my body up in a panic. "Sell!"

His voice faded away. I was burning up with a great and over powering desire from deep inside. I opened my eyes to find myself covered in flames, my cloak whipping behind me. I was flying some place very quickly. It hit me then that I had gone to the Aether.

_"Sell!"_ cried a voice within my head in a panic. Blood stained hands reached out to me for help.

It was Lady Ananon._ Was it a memory from her past when facing Hatos? No. She wouldn't have been crying out for me then. This was happening now! _My scythe appeared in my hands as I sensed a familiar being. My eyes lit with huge flames that burned brightly. This unstable power could only belong to one person.

I ground my teeth and flung my scythe ahead of me as I surged forward and disappeared with a warp.

The being was part dragon and part Enderman. Knives stood hunched over the bloody form of Lady Ananon grinning crazily when the scythe spun through the air and stabbed him through his back, piercing through to the front. He hissed looking down at the scythe that protruded his chest. _"Sell…!"_ he growled raising his eyes up and turning around to gaze about with wild eyes_. "Where are you?!"_

_"It's one thing to inflict damage and pain upon my family, upon my neighbors, upon innocent lives, and upon the entire world."_ A voice spoke all around him, making Knives turn about searching for the source. _"It's another thing to hurt the ones that we praise and seek forgiveness from! The ones that give their hearts out to those innocent beings! The ones that answer our prayers day to day!"_ Knives growled, wrinkling his nose as he bared sharp teeth in a long growl_. "How dare you set foot upon the holy land that you were never part of! How dare you defy the bounderies that you've now crossed! How dare you bring the heavens to its knees in a disruptive manner!"_

Knives roared out slashing the air with a claw. _"Get your ass out here, cowardly bitch! You're next!"_

_"Gladly!"_ I hissed as Knives spun around and was given a punch to the right cheek, his head knocked about with a loud crack from his neck.

Knives was sent tumbling across the golden pathway from the punch. His claws raked the path, making deep gashes in the stone, a sound similar to nails on a chalk board split the air. His raised his head with a deathly glare. _"That was nice! Let's see if you can do that again?! I highly doubt!"_

He pulled himself forward with strength similar to a dragon and flew forward towards me and warped before reaching me. I checked Lady Ananon and saw that her body held no vitals. She had passed in a horrible and painful way. The Moa shredded to bits. There was the sound of something moving through the air, similar to a blade.

I ducked and warped in time to have Knives stabbing the space I had been with his claws. I grasped the pole of my scythe with flaring eyes. _"I hope I don't see you on the battle field because if I do, it'll be your grave,"_ I hissed as flames engulfed my scythe.

Knives cried out grasping the tip of the scythe with his claws. He roared out turning his head over his shoulder with gnashing teeth. I tightened my grip and ripped the scythe out downwardly, slicing his body more. _"How dare you come here and disrupt what was ours! Go back to the Nether where you belong! I will never forgive you for this, brother!"_

Knives fell upon the path, blood gushing from his newly made wound. He growled up at me, forcing himself to his feet. _"Haha. Good. You're very good. I'm impressed by your speed. Sadly, It's time that I return to Hatos. My job here is done, sister."_

I swung my scythe, a flame trail burning the air where he had just been if he hadn't warped. He reappeared behind me on my right crouching next to Lady Ananon's body. _"I'll be taking her now."_

The air around me exploded in fire and flame as I warped swinging my scythe for his neck when I was suddenly slammed through the pathway by a great force. My body fell through the air and landed on a floating island below, a crater formed around me from my impact. My vision blurred momentarily before it straightened itself out and I was focused on Hatos who stood there above on the path with a horse that I had never seen before. He took something off the back of the horse and held it out with one hand about the collar of the figure. All breath left me as I recognized who it was.

Queen Lyrena's head hung lifelessly, her beautiful pastel hair of ocean coloration waved in the wind. Blood covered her pastel gown to the point where the colors were starting to turn a different color. My chest felt heavy as if there was immense pressure forcing itself down upon me. Hatos smiled with envy. _"Must be one hell of a view from where you are. Your eyes don't lie when I look down upon you. I must say, this is way more enjoyable than I had first imagined it. Say Good bye to your abilities, Lady Sell. The war will be ours!"_

I remained frozen where I was in complete shock. _Why hadn't I sensed Hatos also? What will happen to the Aether? _

_"Hatos,"_ I whispered as I closed my eyes at last. Lady Ananon's smiling face beaming at me one last time. "What you've done," I whispered as Queen Lyrena's warmth and loving aura emanated from her within my mind. _"What you've now caused…"_

My eyes reopened as I felt my body move on its own, rising from the crater with my scythe helping me up. _"Cannot be forgiven or undone. Our future, everyone's, is now unknown. You don't know if this war will be yours or not."_

Hatos chuckled as he shook Queen Lyrena. _"You must have dirt in your ears, dear child. They held your powers and now they will be gone. They were postponing your decrease!"_

Knives stepped alongside Hatos grasping Lady Ananon by her hair, dragging her. _"I have the child."_

Hatos turned to him with a smile. _"Good, very good!"_ He turned back to me with a gleeful look. _"I'll be seeing you on the battlefield, Lady Sell! Good day!"_

The air in the Aether suddenly turned unstable and odd. Hatos and Knives both looked as if they were in a moment of fear and panic. I floated up onto the pathway through the hole and stood on the other side of them. There was a mighty roar that shook the heavens and made the pathway move as if it were a bridge. I looked towards the roar to see a great figure, a beast walking in the air, a bright and gloring light shining around him that made Hatos and Knives wince.

They brought up their arms to shield their eyes from the light but I stared at it as if it were something of beauty. The beast now resembled a white tiger who's head came up to my chest. He stood on the path with glowing eyes looking at us as his tail snaked behind him, twitching.

_"My children have been slain wrongfully but it was bound to happen sometime. My child who will walk the life of a normal Minecraftian will see the light once more. As of right now, you will have great decisions to make ahead of you. As for the evil that stands upon my holy heavens, your time of judgment will be coming for you. Don't blink."_

The great white tiger snorted a puff of cold air that chilled me to the bone. Even my skeletal form shivered. _"Who are you?"_

The white tiger opened his maw to speak. _"Know me as Nystherdyn, The Being of Life. I am one of four parts of Herobrine that Notch divided up. We have been watching for some time. We have four prophets that walk these lands. Although they are young they will prove vital to you in time."_

I stood there speechless to this great God. _"When will this be?"_

Nystherdyn growled lowly. _"I've told you all that I want to tell you. Take it as that and return!"_

I felt a force press me out of the Aether. I hit my body with a loud crack as Dra'tor screamed out to me. Thoughts ran through my mind as my body slowly succumbed to the blackout. _What will happen to me from here on out?_


	24. Chapter 24 The Great Beings Warnings

Ch.24 The Great Beings Warnings

Hatos and Knives stood there holding the bodies of Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena. The great white tiger stood before them with a blank expression. He had sent Sell back to the living forcefully. Hatos snorted putting his ex-wife back onto his horse's saddle. _"Knives, put her up there. We got places to be!"_

Knives looked from the tiger to him, unsure if he should move or not. An odd feeling crept over him. He wasn't sure how to react to it but it wasn't very pleasant either. _"What the fuck is all of this? Animal Parade?! Go back to where you came from, cat! Sell is our responsibility! Go find your own enemy!"_

Nystherdyn roared face to face with him. His strong cold breath making icicles on Knives' long red hair. _"Everyone is my enemy and yet they are not. Each their own and each very similar to the next. It does not matter who you are in my eyes. I control your present, past, and future now. I control everything that has to deal with you and everyone else's lives._

_"I could kill you here and now if I wanted."_

Hatos felt a chill run across him. The tiger was being serious in every way. _"Wait, wait, what are you saying? You can kill me as well? I'm the Lord of the Nether! I took the life of the Aether! I killed the Goddess and the Princess of the Aether!_

_"We can do your job too, ya' know?!"_

The white tiger narrowed his eyes at him. Hatos couldn't move his body. He could only breath, think, and roll his eyes. The tiger pulled his lips back in a smile showing his teeth. _"I love fools like you. Whom think they control all just by having fear stricken in every soul before him. Guess what? You haven't tasted real fear yet. Want me to show that to you?_

_"Experience a hardcore fear smack from me? Or would you like to feel it in your upcoming doom? Which is it?"_

Knives shuddered as an image went through his mind. So horrifying. Another voice crept through the air like the wind making Knives turn with a bad feeling. _"Time and space are a great race but it all stands still for us. Neither ageing nor greying, we all look the same as we did when we were young. As for you though, you will crumble with time and become one with the ground. Another new life cast upon you, changing your past by a fraction of a mark. It's still not enough to run or patch up._

_"We will always remember forever more. Your life is a pitiful one."_

A great lion stood there with a radiant light shining from his form as he strode about eyeing them. _"We are finally meeting the bastard that creates bastards, eh?"_

There was a chuckle as a figure leapt from the sky and bounced across the path to stop and peer up at them from waist high. A wolf that laughed at them loping about. _"Smart at times but stupid also. Wonderful combination for someone evil or as he tries to appear to be. Hah!"_

Knives suddenly felt his hair get pulled and whirled around to see a Nightmare stallion rear up over him, much taller and bigger than the other kind. Knives stumbled backwards and fell from shock, no words coming from his mouth. The stallion planted his hooves on the pathway and snorted hot smoke from his nostrils that singed Knives clothes. _"What's it feel like now to see you to be pitiful just like back then? Hmm? Such a shock isn't it? Your mind can't wrap itself around this, right?"_

Knives quivered looking about wildly. Hatos looked around him with anger boiling within. Nystherdyn turned away from him, letting him move again. _"You now know, or I hope you do, that you are not at the top of the food chain. You are always beneath us."_

The lion passed Nystherdyn with a growl. _"They'll soon forget, Nys. Shall we burn it into their memory? I have the perfect idea."_

Nystherdyn nipped the lions tail. _"No. Let them be the fools that they are. Their punishment will get them soon enough. I've told them what they need to know. Minecraft has been balanced once more. You have no Nether to return to, Hatos."_

Hatos whirled on him. _"The Nether will always be mine!"_

The nightmare horse nickered and shoved him across the pathway with my muzzle. He pranced about with his tail raised. _"Such a cocky bastard! He still doesn't realize what we do!"_

Hatos stabbed the path with his scythe, stopping himself from sliding any further. He looked up to the prancing horse with fire and flame of anger. _"Are you saying that you control the Nether now?"_

The Nightmare reared pawing the air. _"I've always controlled it! You idiot! I'm the one who chose you to run it for me!"_

Hatos stood there trying to understand this. The four Beings stood there in silence. Nystherdyn blinked and turned to them. _"It's time you all went to your respectful places. Minecraft is in trouble. We need to heal the earth and replenish life. Let's get to work."_

The three Beings nodded before sprinting past Hatos and leaping into the air and dissipated. Nystherdyn stood there, the golden pathway reforming itself whole once again. His eyes looked up to Hatos before narrowing again. _"Get out and don't ever come here again!"_

Hatos, his horse, and Knives were all flung from the Aether and found themselves back in the base. Hatos stood shakily looking about. The place he felt so comfortable in now felt cold and betraying to him. He looked to Knives who was back to himself. "I don't want to be reminded of what we just experienced and saw. Don't ever bring it up."

_Always remember that nothing can hide you from our eyes, Hatos. We can see through everything._

Hatos chilled himself and strode out of the room to the lava chambers. He needed comfort. What the tiger had said was mostly siding with Sell. Why wouldn't they side with him? "This is such bullshit!" He clenched his fists striding down the hallway faster.

Kicking up the doors in a fury he suddenly noticed Socaza sitting in his throne. "What do I owe you this meeting, Socaza?"

Socaza, who had changed his looks and his health smiled at Hatos. "Ah, Hatos! Those six women are great, aren't they?! Look what I had them do for me! I'm in my thirties again and I feel great!"

"You should've been in your baby stage. That way I wouldn't have to deal with your lack uselessness." Hatos grumbled walking towards the throne. "Get up!"

Socaza lounged in the chair a bit not budging. "The portals have been set up and linked. I want my pay."

Hatos glared down at the green eyed, brown haired young man. "Socaza, I'm not in the least bit happy right now. I instructed you to get out of the throne. I won't repeat myself."

Socaza smirked moving and getting to his feet. "I heard you went to the Aether. How was it? Pretty?"

"It was the most stomach churning place I've ever gone too," grumbled Hatos taking his seat. "What do I owe you?"

"My son back," Socaza said seriously. "And the cash statements that I've requested."

There was an unpleasant air between them before Hatos spoke. "You never said anything about your son. You only wanted the cash. Besides, Aeno is very resourceful to me. I like the boy. He's like a step- son to me."

Socaza clenched his fists. "Hatos…!"

Hatos set him with a darker and more deathly glare. "I've stated my rules and what you'll be receiving. I'm not making any more bartering. Take it or leave it!"

_What the hell is with Hatos tonight? Did he not get his job done that he went to the Aether to do?_ Socaza wondered slightly shaking from his anger. _Did something happen there while he was doing his revenge? Did Sell show up?_

"Why are you staring at me for?!" Hatos growled annoyed. "What's your decision?!"

"I'll take the cash but I want to ask you this," Socaza said taking a step back from him. "What happened in the Aether?"

Hatos stared at Socaza before turning his head away. "Yem!"

A man dressed in dark robes stepped from the other room hurriedly. "Sir?"

"Pay Socaza for his work. After that get him out of here," Hatos ordered closing his eyes. "I'm tired of dealing with this piece of shit."

Socaza glared angrily at Hatos. "You're such an ass! Just like a pompous kingly bastard!"

Sparks flew about through the air making popping sounds. Socaza's skin began to get uneasy from the energy in the air. "You're really pushing the death envelope tonight, Socaza. Get lost before you truly die."

Yem walked forward grabbing Socaza's arm and dragging him from the room. "Come, sir. We shall negotiate your price."

As Hatos was left alone in his throneroom his eyes burned with hatred for Sell. _Did she call those guys up? I never heard her mumble a single thing. Where did they come from?_ The Nightmare horse flashed into his mind. How it had bared its teeth and nickered angrily at him. _"I've always controlled it! You idiot! I'm the one who chose you to run it for me!"_

Hatos flung a fireball blasting a crater into the stone wall out of anger. "Bastards! Fucking Sell! I fucking hate her!"

"You should be happy though," said a voice from behind him. "The war will be upon us at the end of this month."

Hatos flexed his hand, rubbing it with the other. "Aeno. You sly little fox. When did you get back?"

Aeno stepped from behind the throne in all black robes. "Long before you returned from the Aether. I know what's going on now between you and my father, using me as a wager. That's quite rude of you, Hatos. As it stands right now though, you need all the wages and bartering you can get. Right?"

Hatos sighed rubbing his temples. "I'm keeping you for a damn good reason. Your father is an annoyance. He's going to be in my way."

Aeno chuckled. "He's always been that way. I'm his only child after all. So, what do you need me for?"

Hatos brought out a map and handed it to him. "I've marked a place for you to go. Take the band that I've given you and head there. You will be my special forces. I'm sure Lord rien hasn't even made one of those. Since he's dealing with his family and the death of his wife. You will be targeting his sister. I want that baby. She is the key to world domination."

"What of your own child, sir?" Aeno asked looking over the top of the map at Hatos. "Your wife didn't have such a happy face when Knives gave her the child the first time."

Hatos scowled at him. "I'll deal with my wife. You do your job."

Aeno smiled genuinely at him. I'll be taking my group to the destination and waiting for the time to move on my own. I hope you have your own plans during the war, Hatos."

Hatos watched the young man stride from the throne room. He placed his head on his fist with narrowed eyes as he thought. _That boy, he's as slippery as a manta ray and even slyer than a damn fox. I need to be careful with him slipping around the base. I can see why Lord Rien and the others dropped him instantly when they tracked him down as Socaza's son. Makes me wonder who his mother was and where he learned these things?_

Hatos crossed his leg over the other in deep thought. He wondered if having Aeno would benefit him for the time being? _I'm sure it will. After this war, however, he will have to be cut off. He's too much of a threat to truly keep under lock and key for as long as I've had him. It was nice having him though._

The tiger's face flashed into his mind making his skin erupt into chills. He shivered remembering the tiger's breath making ice cycles on Knives' hair. He stared at the door biting a fingernail. Would the tiger be at the war fighting alongside Sell against him?

_"My children have been slain wrongfully but it was bound to happen sometime. My child who will walk the life of a normal Minecraftian will see the light once more. As of right now, you will have great decisions to make ahead of you. As for the evil that stands upon my holy heavens, your time of judgment will be coming for you. Don't blink."_

_"Everyone is my enemy and yet they are not. Each their own and each very similar to the next. It does not matter who you are in my eyes. I control your present, past, and future now. I control everything that has to deal with you and everyone else's lives._

_"I could kill you here and now if I wanted."_

Hatos got to his feet rubbing his arms with his hands furiously. "Damn it! That didn't happen! They didn't appear in the Aether and they aren't real! It was just after effects of the potions!"

He slumped into his throne once more staring out in a daze at the bubbling lava. "It had to be. I know it had to be…"

_But what if they weren't a bad after effect from the potions?_


	25. Chapter 25 Words of Promise

Ch.25 Words of Promise

I stood in the training room panting. My scythe feeling heavy from the lack of strength. I sank to a knee trying to catch my breath. "I think I've got a shot to call it out."

Dra'tor stood a few paces away with a ripped shirt and a few gashes on his chest that were healing. He too was panting and leaning against his own scythe. "I think so too. We'll just have to see during the war, huh?"

I slowly got to my feet, my cloak and scythe disappearing. "It's in just three days, right? We need to rest up." I shook out my hair that was a bit frizzed from the heat before turning and walking towards the door.

"Sell?" Dra'tor asked straightening as his cloak and scythe disappeared too. "What are you going to do? Meet them at the field like you had previously planned?"

I nodded looking over my shoulder. "My father can handle the army. He's got talent in doing that. Also Lones will have his back. They're good friends believe it or not."

Dra'tor followed after her. "I could go for a good bath right about now. You really beat the shit out of me."

I chuckled as we walked out of the training room. "You need to close your gaps. I think I hammered that into you fairly well."

Dra'tor cracked his neck and sighed. "Oh yeah. Brutally."

"I see training was a success?" Mordan asked holding a tray with bottles of water.

Dra'tor and I took a bottle and drank deeply. We exhaled loudly together. "Yeah."

Mordan smiled turning away and walking off with the tray. "Come. I shall have your baths prepared for you. The servants have prepared fresh clothes in your rooms. Supper will be ready in a little."

"You take such good care of me, Mordan," smiled Dra'tor looking spoiled.

Mordan stopped and turned towards him. "I'm only doing these for Lady Sell, sir. After all of this is over and she goes home I'm heading back to get my original life back."

Dra'tor stopped. "What?! You never told me any of this ahead of time!"

I took Dra'tors bottle from his hand. "Stop giving him such a hard time, Dra'tor. You'll be fine without him. Right?"

"No," Dra'tor replied in a pouting manor. "He makes things so perfectly!"

Mordan looked to me expectantly. "Not everything has been made by me recently."

I looked back at Mordan smiling sheepishly. "Hey, I thought that would be our little secret? You couldn't hold back, huh?"

Dra'tor looked from him to me. "Wait. What? Sell can cook? When?"

I felt like I had been slapped. I ground my teeth counting down from ten to calm down. Mordan couldn't help but laugh as we walked on towards the kitchen in the sprawling sandstone mansion. Dra'tor leaned on the counter peering at Mordan as he placed the two bottles in the sink. "When did she learn to cook?"

"I'm right here!" I barked on the other side of Mordan. "You just never paid attention when I was in the kitchen with Mordan!"

"She's surprisingly very good," Mordan said smiling as he dried the bottles with a wool rag. "I think you have many things to open your eyes too, Dra'tor."

Dra'tor looked back at Mordan biting into an apple. "Huh? What did you say? I wasn't paying attention."

I sighed as I walked towards the doorway. "I'm off for a bath, Mordan. Is the water ready?"

Mordan dried his hands. "Yes. It's been heating up ever since I started supper. It should be nice and hot for you."

I smiled waving. "Thanks. See you at dinner."

Mordan smiled in return and looked to Dra'tor who had finished the apple. "Sir, I believe you should look to Sell as a possible wife?"

Dra'tor choked on the apple, pounding on his chest and coughing. He gasped and looked to Mordan in shock. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

Mordan turned back to the sink, watching the water shimmer from the lights above. "I'm only expressing my thoughts."

"I know," muttered Dra'tor with his head looking away from Mordan. "You aren't the first to suggest her."

Mordan looked at him with a raised brow. "Ah. Your father?"

"It's…" Dra'tor started but let it go. He turned and walked out of the kitchen leaving Mordan to wonder what he was going to say.

Mordan stood there staring out the window at the small garden. He remembered Dra'tor's father always standing out there, admiring the flowers that were well taken care of. _It's sad how things turn tragic in a split second and change the course for everyone. Yet, it also has its reason in doing so. Good and bad things come from the change. We honor you every year yet Lady Sell knows nothing about what happened to you. It's a great truth that we hold from her to this day, as upon your request._

_ I'm not sure if Dra'tor can keep the secret from her any longer, sir. If she is told now, will you forgive us? We know the possible actions that may come from this but… It's important that she knows. Right?_

"Mordan?"

Mordan jumped from Dra'tor's voice. "Y-Yes?"

"Is my bath ready?" Dra'tor asked stepping into the kitchen with only his pants on and a towel draped over his right shoulder.

"Yes, sir," Mordan replied. "It's been ready around the same time as Sell's."

Dra'tor turned and left him once more in the kitchen. Mordan sighed leaning on the counter letting himself calm once more. _Damn it. Even if one of us told Sell, one of us would be pissed at the other for saying it._ He looked up at the picture that was hanging on the wall of the living room over the fireplace of Dra'tor's father. _I'm sorry, sir. I can't do it. I'll leave it up to your son to decide. I have no balls to face our Lady._

Mordan could hear the late leader chuckling in his head from past events. _"That won't do, Mordan. Give it your all next time! Stop being so cowardly! Look at Dra'tor!"_

Mordan checked the kitchen to see that it was in order before leaving the room and looking about the expansive living room. He stared at a chair that the late leader would sit in and read the paper. How his wife would drape over his shoulders with a good morning. Mordan shut his eyes, turning away from the chair and walked up the stairs. _If only that one day hadn't happened. Dra'tor would be different. Everything would be different._

"Pervert!" I screamed in the highest voice I could. "Get the fuck out before I scorch you!"

"Hey, I didn't know this was yours!"exclaimed Dra'tor hurriedly backing away with his eyes shut. "Sell, I swear! Don't hurt me! I'm already bruised enough as is!"

Mordan opened the door to see a half-naked Sell and a blushing Dra'tor who had his eyes closed, backing up towards him. "Dra'tor! You dumbass! I told you to go to your own bath!"

Dra'tor whirled around on me angrily. "This was my bath! It's always been my bath!"

"Get out both of you!" I screamed as flames leapt for them angrily.

Dra'tor was grabbed by Mordan and was hauled from the bathroom, shutting the door with a slam. "Sorry, Lady Sell! That won't happen again!"

I huffed folding my arms across my chest that had been covered by a towel. "Why do I have better control over Dra'tor when we're in different places but not here? Jerk!"

I let the towel go onto the floor as I sunk back under the water, my hair splaying out and moving with the rippling water. It had been quite some time since I'd had a hot bath. It felt so soothing to me after handling so much lately. I closed my eyes drifting away in the steam cloud and found myself subconsciously looking at the backside of Hel as he stared out into the distance. It felt lonely around him.

_Geez, I'm sorry, Hel. I hate how our next meeting will be on the battlefield. I hope you rest up. We'll all need it._ I stood there alongside him watching the moon fall. Something we used to do when we were on our adventures. I smiled to myself at the memories. _"Remember the tree we made our base in?"_

"Yeah," Hel whispered aloud. "I remember it all."

_"One more day,"_ I muttered. _"It'll all begin again in one more day."_

"When will we see one another there?" Hel asked plainly.

I shrugged to myself. _"I don't know. Whatever happens and makes me appear I guess."_

Hel turned to me with his deep blue eyes. "Don't go weak on me too early. I want to fight alongside of you and see what that training did before you lose your abilities."

I looked up at him in slight shock. I hadn't heard him say that sort of thing in quite a while. It surprised me. _"I'll try."_

We stared at one another with small smiles on our faces. His right hand lifted up a few strands of my hair. "It's grown long a good bit. You always looked better with long hair to me though."

_"I've come to like long hair but it's annoying to wash,"_ I said looking at the floor embarrassed.

Hel laughed letting it fall from his fingers. "Hey, do you think I could possibly be a butler?"

I looked up at him strangely. _"Why?"_

He shrugged putting his hands into his pockets and staring at the moon. "I always felt like a butler at your dad's old mansion. I sort of liked it too."

I nudged him gently. _"You could be one hell of a butler but your cooking needs work."_

We laughed at one another a bit before going quiet again. Hel finally broke the silence between us. "I really do love you. I don't think a dog or even another werewolf could be as lucky as I."

I smiled at him as he knelt down to be petted by me._ "I love you too. I'm glad to have met you so long ago."_

Hel turned to me, his face near mine. "My Lady, I swear to protect you with my life as I've always done."

I felt his lips press against my cheek gently and his arms wrap about me securely. I instinctively hugged him back. _"I'm honored to have you by my side like you've always been, Hel."_

"Forever," he said looking into my eyes.

_"Forever as one,"_ I said looking back at him.

_"Forever as one we shall uphold the law together and protect those that require it,"_ we said together.

The meaning of the phrase burning within us from so long ago. Back when we were small. Back when we knew very little of what was going on around us. I rested my head on his shoulder listening to his heartbeat._ "And may the heavens above judge me rightly if I do wrong in some way. May they turn my soul in the right direction if I may fall? May we be as one forever and always."_

Hel stood then watching me fade as I gave him one last smile before disappearing. "Forever and always."

I sat up coughing up water. I had gone under water when I had projected. The door was suddenly being banged on. "Sell?! Sell?!"

I brought myself out of the tub and grabbed up the towel to wrap about me before opening the door. "I'm here."

Mordan and Dra'tor stood there looking worried. "Dear, notch! Look at you! You're seriously flushed from the water. Come!"

I was grabbed by Dra'tor before Mordan could take hold and ushered into the kitchen where Dra'tor placed cold water against my neck. I shrieked sitting up straight as a board. "Cold!"

"You're running a fever from that shower, Sell. Look at you," Dra'tor said holding me in place as he placed more cold water on my neck. "What did you do? Fall asleep?"

I shook my head. "I projected by accident. I stood next to Hel and watched the moon with him."

I felt the cold water once more on my neck making me shiver. I looked over at Mordan who was sitting at the table holding his head up by his hand. I looked to Dra'tor who took the rag and filled it with water again before pressing it on my neck. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done the projection."

"It's ok," Dra'tor said calmly. "I'm just glad you didn't drown yourself. We were scared to go in and check on you."

I looked to him and Mordan who blushed red. I started to laugh at them both. "If you think I'm drowning, please barge in and pull me out. If you're too scared then you have no balls and are not a man."

Mordan gawked at me as Dra'tor remained quiet. "That's a bit much. I sort of like it though."

I took the rag from him. "I can cool myself off. Thank you."

Dra'tor reluctantly nodded and helped me off the counter. "Your clothes are ready on your bed. I'm going to be up for a little bit longer. You might want to rest since you've been pushing yourself so much."

I nodded. "I will. Good night you two."

Mordan waved me off while Dra'tor bowed to me. "Night, my Lady."

I left them alone and went to my room, shutting the door behind me. Dra'tor stared out at the staircase almost in a daze. Mordan nudged him. "Hey."

"What?" Dra'tor asked looking at him.

"Do you think your dad was right about her?" Mordan asked looking up at him.

Dra'tor crossed his arms over his bare chest, only wearing pants. He sighed with a frown. "Everything's becoming true so far. But, for her to dip that low in wanting her abilities back? I don't think she'd go back to DNA for help like my father suggested. Sure he had a lot on her father but she's her own person. We'll have to see what she does."


	26. Chapter 26 War of Enemies

**I'm sorry this took me so long to get out there, guys. I'm currently having a few health issues that I'm dealing with and a few other things also. Hope you'll forgive me for the lateness in this chapter and the following chapters that I'll be writing and posting. This should've been done back in 2012 like the other story had been done in my health issues though I wasn't able to sit In bed and write dew to pain.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter and will have the patience to wait for the others.**

**Sincerly,Yuna.**

Ch.26 War of Enemies

Rien awoke early of the new day. It was the time that they had all waited for. The war. He touched the old chest that was in the closet downstairs. He touched the old armor his father had worn back in the war that he attended with his own group.

The old beat up diamond plated armor shone up at him through the dim light. His father's face smiling at him in his dusty reflection. He shook himself of the old memory and began to dress into the armor that his father had left behind.

"You look just like your father," Lones said softly in the doorway.

Rien turned to see his old friend with a small smile. "I don't know if that should be a good compliment or not since we're talking about my father."

"I'm saying that in a good way. We both know how your dad had a bad side to him," Lones said walking over to Rien and looking the armor over. "If only he could've met Sell. That would've made him flip his lid."

Rien chuckled. "A girl leading the army in battle. He would've killed us all for even giving her grace."

Lones turned to see Toc and Des standing outside the door. "Morning boys. Did we wake you?"

Toc shook his head. "We've been up all night. We can't sleep since mother died."

"I'll go get Los and have her give you two some sleeping antidotes," Lones said starting to leave but was stopped by Rien.

"It's been hard on my sleep also," Rien whispered. "I barely get enough these days."

"Good luck fighting, dad," Des said softly stepping into the room. "Bring Sell back home for good."

Rien hugged his son tightly. "Right. I will. Hopefully."

Toc stepped in and hugged his father tightly. "We believe in you all."

Lones headed out of the room. "I'll go get myself ready. Meet you at the gate."

Rien looked to his two sons. How they had grown up to be great men. "If I die in this war I want you two to have my mansion and this house. Take care of Sen and look after Sell. I don't think Sell needs to be looked after. She takes after me a great deal."

"We'll look after her anyways, dad," Des said with a smile. "She's our little sister after all. We don't leave our family alone. Mother taught us that."

Rien smiled at them. Seeing their mother in all of his children. "No matter what your mother was a part of, I still loved her no matter what."

Rien turned and headed out of the office towards the front door. Toc and Des followed after him, watching him step out into the gravel drive and call up his Nightmare. He climbed on to its back and nodded to them before nudging it to walk out of the gat and down the path. Toc turned to Des who looked almost asleep on his feet.

"I'm going to go see Los. Look after Sen."

Des nodded sleepily before going inside. Toc turned and sprinted down the gravel path to the market district. Los was already in her shop making potions when Toc arrived panting slightly. Los looked up with goggles on to see him before removing the dark tinted goggles.

"Hey! What's wrong? You look a mess!"

"We haven't been able to sleep since mom died." Toc replied. "I was hoping you had something to help us?"

Los dug around in her chests before pulling out a bottle of liquid. "Take this. It'll help you two sleep."

Des took the bottle staring at it before looking at her. "Will you be going out there also?"

Los checked on her brewing stands and nodded. "Yes. I'm required to go. Lord Rien's orders."

"You think Sell will be on the front lines?" Des asked leaning on the wooden counter. "Every time I think about her on the front lines I get cold shivers up my back. It's just impossible."

"If I know anything about your sister while living here and talking to her, she'll be where ever she is needed," Los said softly looking to him. "Besides, she is following her heart and order's from Lady Ananon. Isn't that right?"

A cold wind blew through the town from the mountains making Des and Los flinch, clutching themselves from it. They both looked to one another before looking off towards the front gate of the town. Los grasped Des's hand gently but squeezed it. "Whatever happens, take a white horse to the desert sands. There, a group will take you, Toc, and Sen in. You must remain there at all costs. That was my last dream from a woman in the heavens. A message for me to you."

Des looked down at her hand, turning his hand over to hold hers. "Thank you, Los. I'll do that."

The two let one another's hands go, allowing Des to meander his way back to the house, leaving Los there with her brewing stands. Los leaned on the wooden counter resting her head on her arms. She was annoyed with all of the orders that had come in that morning.

"Cheer up, a wolf has come to take you away with him," a deep voice said making Los startled.

"Hel! Where have you been?" Los growled up to Hel who sat upon her shop roof eating an apple. "Had to make a quick stop to see someone. You ready?"

"Yeah," Los replied shutting two chests and locking them. "Take this stuff."

Hel slid from her roof to crouch before her stand and see what she was taking. "Are they heavy?"

"Very," Los replied putting her bag on her back. "It's all I'll need at the battlefield. Will you grab them or not?"

The male werewolf slid over her counter to grab up each chest and slid back over, waiting on the small girl to follow after. Los had a bit of difficulty to climb over the counter with the heavy bag on her back but a quick hand grabbed her making her look to Hel who had set a chest down. Los smiled and allowed herself to be pulled across the counter to the other side and stand next to him. Hel took up the other chest once more before setting off to the main gate.

"We must hurry. The other's should be there lining up now."

Los nodded trying to hurry after Hel with the heavy bag on her back. They finally made it to the front gate to see the Lord's lining their horses up along the gravel path. All was silent as Lord Rien sat on his mount at the front watching it all. Lord Lones right next to him. Hel set down the two chests and shifted into his werewolf form to allow Los to string up the chests on his sides.

_"I feel like a packhorse,"_ he growled to her as he watched her with his head turned.

Los chuckled petting his head. "Almost done. Stand still."

"Seems like women rule over us wolves, eh, Hel?" chuckled Rayr standing there.

_"I'm only transporting goods,"_ grumbled Hel. _"Stop making it into something worse than it actually is."_

Rayr bust out laughing at this before looking around at all the Lord's. "So it's really here now?"

Hel nodded looking back at the Lord's. _"I never thought this day would come. It feels odd, doesn't it to you?"_

Rayr nodded in return. "More weird now than it was so many years ago in the history books. Praise goes to Lord Rien's great great grandfather. Right?"

Hel shrugged not able to recall history right then. _"I don't know. The Lord's know but it's not important right now. Where's Skelar?"_

Hel and Rayr turned to see a horse thundering across the land towards them with a young man on it's back. The horse trotted towards them before coming into a walk and slowly stopping to stand at the side of Rayr. Rayr looked up to smile at Skelar who looked completely different to Hel. All clad out in iron armor, a bow about him diagonally, and a sword strapped to his back. Hel then noticed the quiver attached to his saddle on the horse.

_"Good lord, Skelar?"_ Hel growled up in slight shock. _"When I last left your training with Rayr you weren't this different!"_

Skelar smiled down to Hel. "Yeah. The changes took place after you had gone oddly enough."

"Alright!" Rien barked loud enough for all to look towards him as he had his horse move to the front. "We're all here now! It's time that we head out for our final conclusion! It's time that we end this evil and darkness! By the power vested in us all by our forefathers and the light above by our first Lady, may good prevail over evil!"

The Lord's raised their fists and weapons into the air, shouting in agreement. Rien raised his iron sword over his head as he turned his mount about spurring it forward. "To glory and freedom!"

"Glory and freedom!" the Lord's called as they raced after him across the land in a hurry.

On the wall tower stood Lady Ananon's younger brother watching them head out. They were all in their human forms but riding on Nightmare's. Nain grasped the stone that stopped him from falling over the wall. "If any being above can hear my plea, all I ask is for father to find peace at last."

A cold wind swirled around Lord Nain, making him shiver before it left him, blowing out in the direction that the Lord's charged out towards.

Entai snorted and pranced in place, eager to leave. Sell patted him gently to reassure him that they would leave soon. Sell turned to the great front doors of the palace as footsteps could be heard on the other side. The doors creaked open for Dra'tor to step through with himself well equipped. Mordan behind him also decked out in armor. Sell chuckled at him because it didn't suit him very well.

"Are you two ready now?"

Mordan pulled himself up onto his nightmare and nodded to her. "Yup."

"Everything's been taken care of," Dra'tor said as he paused to pull himself up onto his own Nightmare. "The palace and surrounding areas will be fine while we head out. Your father and the others have just left. As should we."

I nodded pulling myself onto Entai and heading around the fountain of the courtyard of serenity and peace. My soul burned within, its voice whispering in my head excitedly the creed that the early Skeletal Beings had made. _I put to death and I can bring to life again as many times as I want! May all of my blood prevail and march across the land with a cloak of fire and ash. _It hummed the haunting melody through my head repeatedly, a smiling sneer stretching in the back of my mind. _What will I do if I lose control of myself?_ My mind wandered as I looked out ahead of us, the clouds floating overhead.

"If the worst happens on the battlefield, just know that I and all the other Lord's will protect you as best as we can." The dread in Dra'tor's voice pulled me out of my reverie to look at him as the Nightmare's clopped down the long drive to the center of the city that thrived around us. At least this felt normal to me.

"I won't let it come to that but…" I paused to swallow, my mind not fathoming the thoughts of seeing myself out of abilities. "I thank you and the Lord's for doing all you can for me. I thank you for backing me like you all have up until now."

"It is our honor, my Lady," Mordan said on the other side of me as he bowed in his saddle.

Honor. That was all that Skeletal Beings truly cared about besides their own kind. It didn't matter if we were all marred or beat to all hell. We'd still stand to fight until we took our last breath.

"Let's go," I said as my voice dropped lowly. The talk had put me in a downed mood only slightly.

The wind, cool and crisp brushed about me, my body getting slightly chilled. I could've sworn that I heard the soft growling hiss of the great tiger Being above that was called Nystherdyn. I shivered slightly before shaking myself of the slight chill. A young girl stepped forward in a brown cloak with a basket in her hands ahead of us. Where had she come from?

We stopped our horses that snorted above her head. Her eyes piercing the rim of the hood of the cloak at me deeply.

"We'll be waiting with the words of the wind as our guide. If you need to seek us out just follow the voice that whispers to you. It's your destiny."

Dra'tor and Mordan arched their brows as they looked to me. I grasped the reigns of Entai tightly. The message had come from Nystherdyn to me personally. "Message accepted. Thank you, young prophet of Nystherdyn."

The young girl, odd in all means, smiled and bowed before disappearing in the throng of people that milled about in the center of the city. I prodded Entai to go forward without a word. What Nystherdyn wanted and saw in the future were two different things. Both reachable but at great costs. For myself, I'd reach one of the two.

Whichever two I knew not what they were or bestowed upon me. I'm sure the Great Beings knew what they were doing for the ravished lands of Minecraft and its protectors. Dra'tor and Mordan followed me on either side, questions coming from them both.

"What truly happened when you went to the Aether?" Dra'tor asked as he narrowed his eyes to me.

"I already told you," I replied not letting anything slip from me. "I fought them in the Aether."

Dra'tor decided to not push it anymore. He could see that I wasn't one for talking at the moment. He let it go and purred his nightmare ahead of me. "Come on, we've got some place to be before your father beats us."

I and Mordan spurred our own steeds after him, galloping through the main street of the city getting nearer to the entrance gate where guards stood processing the people that entered. Upon sighting Dra'tor the guards and the people scrambled aside for us as we galloped through and out into the dunes of the desert. I could feel the difference of the world as we left the protection of Dra'tor's barriers that his past fathers had set up so long ago. I didn't appreciate the unstable feelings that I felt. I didn't like how it had been affected by the events of the Aether.

Surely Nystherdyn would right all of this after the war?

"Does it matter that we'll be out numbered, Rien?" asked Lones as they galloped across the lands of Minecraft towards the battle field. "Frankly I don't like it."

Rien looked to Lones as he smoothed his slicked back dark hair with a free hand while his other grasped the reigns. "We have no choice. We must face it all without turning in fear. We are not cowards."

Lones smirked as his nightmare snorted. "As always, well spoken words that can't be argued with. I just hope Sell gets there when we arrive."

Rien looked over and back to Skelar who was looking at the horizon before he looked back at Lones. "She knows what awaits her. She knows. Have faith in her if she comes late in some way or fashion."

_"Knowing your daughter, Rien, I doubt she'll be late for such an event as big as this_," Hel stated in a growl as he bounded a little ways to Lones left side to not spook the horses. _"She promised me that she'd arrive when she was called out by him. She meant it."_

"What about Dra'tor and Mordan?" Los asked behind Skelar. "Won't they also be coming with her?"

Rien spoke up as his mind wondered thing. "If Sell isn't there when we arrive we'll have no choice but to fight without her until she does show. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" they answered in unison

"I'm scared about going to war to be honest," Skelar said softly.

_"We all are,"_ growled Hel as one of his red eyes looked to him. _"It's ok to be afraid but you must lose your fear before we arrive. We don't need you locking up when arrows hail down upon us from the skeletons."_

"Or Ghast's firing their fireballs," Lones added looked back to his only son. "I'll be right next to you. We'll fight together as a team. You won't be alone."

"You think the town will be ok while we leave it behind?" Los asked looking back into the far distance they had come from.

Rien looked over his shoulder for a brief moment before turning away. "If something happens it wasn't up to us this time to save it. That's just how things are."

Hel and Rayr could understand this kind of outlook quite well, since they've had to do it several times in their life and it wasn't always easy to look away when something was happening. The sky ahead had begun to change coloration faintly. From the bright sky blue to a deepening orangeish red color. The stench of a foul smoke began to fill the air. Hel and Rayr snarled slowing and pawing at their muzzles with tingling pain that stabbed at their senses.

Rien and the others slowed to a halt as Rien took in their surroundings and what was happening to the two werewolves.

"Hel, Rayr, your sense of smell is being blocked!" Ren barked looking out at the thickening smoke from spread out piles of burning wood and other things.

_"We know,"_ Hel and Rayr growled together with wrinkled muzzles. _"The bastard is burning flesh and other things along with it."_

"It's redstone and coal," Lones grumbled as he winced at the smell. "Even I dislike where this is going, Rien. Why would they attack them for?"

"They smelled dragons and heard them long before we saw them," Skelar said as his horse walked up to be next to Rien's. "This is quite underhanded, seeing how he said he wouldn't do such tricks."

"Or is it Hatos that ordered this?" Los asked as she peered over Skelar's shoulder. "I can give them a drug to ward off the effects of the smell but it won't last very long."

Rien and Lones looked to them as they sneezed together and growled. "What do you two want to do?"

Rayr and Hel looked to Los and nodded. _"If it's only for a bit it's better than being like this when we're fighting."_

Los slid off Skelar's horse and went over to Hel to unlock a chest and take out two potions. "It's a defensive potion. It heightens all your senses a great deal. It'll last for at least several minutes before running out."

Rayr and Hel both opened their maws and tilted their heads back, allowing Los to pour the substances into their mouths and watch them swallow it all without a fuss. It didn't take long for the potions to take effect. They were already feeling the tingling pain leave their muzzles. There was a whistling sound from above that made all of them go cold. Explosions rocked the ground and destroyed the earth a hundred blocks from them. A dragon emerged from the smoke and flame with none other than Knives on its back. It banked before them with a snarling growl, glaring at them.

"Welcome to my Lord's hell hole! I see you all have made it in record timing. Quite early in fact."

Rien and Lones stared straight up at the man with silent anger. "Where's Hatos?"

Knives smirked to them, his fingers playing with the spiked part of his hair. "There's no need to worry about him just yet. He's getting ready back at the hold. What you need to worry about is what I have up my sleeve for you all and that darling girl, Sell."

Rayr and Hel growled, arching their backs and ready to spring while Lones, Skelar, Rien and the other Lord's all removed their weapons then. Knives knew the sentence would alarm them. Rien raised hi sword above his head.

"Into position!"

The Lord's maneuvered their mounts into a long line going horizontal behind Rien. Row after row of Lord's sat on their nightmare's ready to do battle with the evil of the night. The nightmare's snorted and pawed the ground restlessly. Knives raised his left arm with a chuckle. Figures of the undead and countless other creatures walked from the smoke that filled the air.

"Rien, this battle will be ours! You are outnumbered one hundred to one."

Rien raised his head to look squarely at the male. "It does not matter on how many you have to defeat us with. What matters is pride and justice. To purify these lands once and for all."

Knives threw back his head in laughter at him. "Fools! What can I say to that?!" He calmed and sneered. "Well, I'll tell you this. Lord Rien, I'll be seeking you out on the field since your daughter isn't here yet."

"Don't run away now," Rien said with a slight grin and narrowing his eyes.

"I wouldn't be talking," Knives replied with a smile and let his left arm fall.

A surge of undead and other worldly creatures surged towards the Lord's making all sorts of roars and cries that filled the air. Rien and his Lord's spurred their nightmare's yelling their battle calls. The two groups engulfed the middle ground and collided with sick thundering cracks as the first blows were taken against the enemy.

Hatos stood upon his battlement tower, looking out into the smokey distance with a bottle of wine in his hand. One of the sisters that he had gotten from the mountain village stood in the doorway, soulless and empty. "The battle has started, sir."

Hato smiled out into the distance, his mind amusing itself with images of how things were going. "Is she there yet?"

"No,s ir," the female replied. Her fiery red hair moving slightly from the wind. "None have sensed her yet."

Hatos drank from the wine in the bottle. "I guess her lateness can be tolerated. Get me my coat and steed. I'm going out there to visit old pupils of mine."

The mountain witch turned and quietly left him alone to do his bidding. Her mind convulsed in agony for a moment, making her slump against a wall. _What am I doing?! Stop this at once! You must not help him! Stop it!_ Her body blocked herself from trying to take control. She righted back up and continued on her way.


	27. Chapter 27 Banquet's Messege

Ch.27 Banquet's Messege

_I always thought that war wouldn't appear anywhere else but in my land only. Now that I've met the Great Beings I find that war happens everywhere. I thought that I had seen the greatest and worst war in my land but that was an understatement compared to the war that I was watching over with Nystherdyn. It was being fought by people called Skeletal Beings and it was quite the sight. How they fought was much different than any normal Minecraftian._

_They didn't use nuclear weapons or bombs but instead they used magical abilities that involved fire and other magical aspects. It came from the world around them and within themselves. The highest ability amongst the beings were Lord Rien, Lord Lones, a son of Lord Lones, and young girl that was the daughter of Lord Rien that everyone called Lady Sell. This Lady Sell had brought together many people from totally different lives from far and wide. It was like she had her own network that spanned the world in every crack and crevice that wasn't seen by a Minecraftian._

_She was the greatest idol amongst all of the Minecraftians that were living. Yet, all the living also praised a dead Lady from long ago called Lady Ananon. I'm not sure how she and Lady Sell are connected but they seem to be very special none the less. I've been sitting next to Nystherdyn for a while now watching the Skeletal Beings fight below against the evil of this Lord Hatos and a man named Knives. Knives's spirit within him seemed molded instead of being natural._

_Nystherdyn told me that the reincarnated beings were illegal amongst the Minecraftians but were still being made none the less. I thought all Minecraftian's followed the rules set by the Lords and Kings that ruled the lands but it seemed that I was wrong in thinking so. Not all Lords and Kings care to follow up closely on such things because the scientists would just close their shop and move away some place different. It didn't matter to them since the scientists had the resources and the time to reincarnate as many as they wanted. Stopping one wouldn't make a dent in the reincarnated people that walked the lands today._

_All the Lords and Kings cared about was their money and the welfare of people's lives that lived below them. What perplexed me more was that the Kings and the Lords knew nothing of these Skeletal Beings. It was like they were nonexistent amongst the living but they lived among them every day and no one noticed. How could this go on for as long as it has without a single person knowing? They also protected the living from the night time horrors, passing down their legacy from generation to generation._

_They had built up six generations since being created long ago by one being, Hatos. Hatos had traveled to the Nether and had been possessed by a Ghast. This Ghast taught him the ways of the ages past skeletal Beings. Hatos then took on pupils and taught them. After that everything spanned across the world after Hatos became too great for his own self and the pupils saw this._

_Lord Rien, being of the third generation, never passed his Skeletal abilities on to his three oldest children but onto his youngest daughter, Sen. I made a chart of all of the generations that spanned fifty years back when the Skeletal Beings traveled across the world to hide from Hatos and teach their abilities to others and build up their forces. Hatos had gotten followers secretly while building up his other forces in monsters. The other Skeletal Beings raised and reared their children while teaching them. The Skeletal Being legacy had reached its highest abilities and it seemed to me that it could go no higher when I discovered a being that could wield a great fiery tool, almost god-like._

_It had been a great great grandfather of Lord Rien's. How he came to have this tool, a sword, I wasn't sure but I believe it had something to do with the Aether._

"Quite a legacy," purred Nystherdyn from my right side as his chin brushed my shoulder.

"Yes. I've researched all of them like you've asked." I bit my nail of my thumb looking at my notes and the compiled information in the books. "I believe that Rien's great great grandfather has a great secret roaming Minecraft."

Nystherdyn sat down next to me with interest. "What's this secret?"

"A child," I replied looking up at him. "Something that is not quite a Skeletal Being and not quite a Minecraftian."

"Halfling?" the white tiger murmured with a flick of his tail. "Halfling of what sort?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. That's what I'm stumped on because nothing has turned up."

"It's bound to turn up from all of this," Nystherdyn said giving me a lick on the cheek. "Be patient, Risir. The answer will come."

I sighed rubbing my neck. I took up my skeleton mask once more and placed it upon my face, hiding my disfiguration from the world. I fixed my black cloak about myself before turning to the great white tiger. "I'm going to that banquet. I feel famished of all the things that I've researched thus far. It spans even farther into this Lady Ananon's life."

Nystherdyn purred looking to me. "It was all created by Hatos once he was given the portal from the portal maker that now works for him in the shadows. Lady Sell and all do know this I believe."

"Let's hope she does," I said flatly before turning and fixing my peppered hair. "I wouldn't want to see her put into a bad spot before reaching us."

"Knowing that child I doubt anything has not crossed her path of information." Nystherdyn growled closing his eyes briefly before looking down at the war again. "No, her life will be a great one on this battlefield. Many bonds will be mended once again."

I smiled fixing my sword to my belt on my side and set off across the golden path of the Aether to the mausoleum where Nystherdyn and I would sleep on occasions when we weren't busy. I stopped again looking over the side of the golden path to the world below. I wondered how the world would look when she had appeared at last? A dragon roared upon nearing the battle from the East as I watched the man called Lord Hatos enter finally and bank on the highest hill above all the fighting. There was no point for him to lift a finger to fight anyone at the moment.

He looked down upon his army and the enemy as if they were nothing to him. They were precisely that, expendables. It didn't matter who was on the field fighting for his cause, they could be replaced at any time. I grasped the end of my sword tightly looking down upon Hatos with much hate for his soul. "I hope he gets what he deserves with such a way of seeing things."

"Oh, Risir." Giggled Hatali stepping next to me in her white cloak. "I don't think you have any need to worry about that."

I turned to the young girl that had been affected by the radiation while in her mother's womb. Her pointed ears, sharp teeth, horns, and a tail. "Why do you say that I can't worry about things that are not my problem? What do you think of him?"

Hatali smiled showing her sharp teeth and leaned on the staff that she carried. "I believe that I and Dyeldorm will have much fun with his soul when he's taken out."

I turned away walking off towards my destination. "Take care upon striking such a person. You might just have trouble out of him."

"I doubt if the other two will be present along with us," Hatali said in a sing song voice as she whipped her tail behind her. "Won't you join us, Risir?"

"If Nystherdyn is going to be present then I will most likely be there too," I said with my back to her and still walking away. "Take care."

Hatali smiled watching me go. "I wonder if you know what your being is hiding in secret yet…?"

I stopped staring on down the path and turned my head slightly. "When he's ready to tell me than I'll know. I don't push topics that don't need me to know."

The girl giggled twirling her staff before tapping the butt end on the road. "Nice way to live by. Unfortunately I can't do that. I have to know things at all times of every day."

I didn't reply as I continued on my way leaving her to talk to herself. None of it concerned me and I didn't care.

A messenger on horseback stormed through the gates of the great glorious palace of the King that ruled over the lands of the southern lands. The other three kings had gathered and the lords that ruled under them. The messenger leapt from his horse as it began to slow and stumbled up the stairs before correcting himself and taking the steps faster. The guards in iron suit stationed on either side of him watched him go wondering what his panic was about. There was a banquet going on within the grounds and inside the palace celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the King and his Queen.

The messenger panted reaching the top of the stone steps and stared up at the glorious palace of the king. So huge and powerful looking with beauty that none could match. He still had a ways to go through. He had the gatehouse to pass through, the mile walk to the palace still and go up yet another flight of steps before actually reaching the great spanning beauty. He gathered himself up again before sprinting towards the gatehouse.

This was important and it was all happening now! How could the King or the Lord not hear of this?! A war! A war being raged by people that they had not known about! What would the King or the Lord think about all of this?

The messenger boy reached the gatehouse in a panic state. "Sir! Open up! I need to get this message delivered to the palace quickly!"

The gatehouse guard looked him over calmly. "Why do you look so panicked for, boy? Is it that bad?"

"There's a war!" he cried out holding up the rolled up paper tied with a piece of string. "Let me through! It's happening right now!"

The other guards looked at each other alarmed. "But the King and the Lord's wouldn't be here today if that was happening. Do they not know or did they forget?"

"It doesn't matter!" cried the messenger breaking through the guards fence gate and sprinting off. "They need to know! Now!"

The guards called out to him surprised. "Hey! Hey, boy! Get back here!"

A few guards raced after the boy but the eldest guard tugged at his beard with narrowed eyes. "War? And the nobles don't know about it?"

"Seems fishy to me, don't it?" asked a middle aged guard leaning on a wooden support beam.

"I don't know. We've seen it all now, haven't we?" the eldest guard replied with a slight chuckle. "Let the boy get to the King and the Lords. We'll see then."

The middle aged guard leapt over the fence gate and struck off for the palace, grabbing his steed that was tied up and galloped off.

The messenger boy reached the stairs and began climbing as fast as he could. His legs were starting to kill him from all the running and climbing he was doing. No wonder none of the other messengers wanted to do the job. He panted climbing the stairs on all fours now. He looked back to see the gate guards following after him and catching up.

"You, boy! You haven't been checked in yet! Get back here!"

"I can't waste my time!" cried the boy climbing up ahead of them. "This is important for the nation to know this!"

"A war isn't that important! The King probably already sent people!" the guard barked.

"I don't think he sent these people!" the boy replied snappishly looking back at the guards sternly and saw the guard on horseback. "What the hell…?!"

The guards turned back to see the gate guards horse galloping up the stairs passing them, the guard leaning over and swiping up the boy before racing up the stairs to the top and continuing on. "What the hell…?!"

The boy looked up at the guard bewildered. "What are you doing?"

The horse reached the top of the stairs nickering and was spurred to continue on its way into the palace. The guard looked down at the boy unsure of the plan that the old guard had. "I'm to bring you to the King and the Lords. From there I am to be watching you until we see what is truly going on."

The messenger understood this. He wasn't trusted and neither was the messege. The palace doors were opened and the horse was brought to a halt by its rider. He let the boy down and got down himself before turning and leading the boy into the palace, its gold and glory sparkling at them from every corner of the great building. A caller was stationed at every room, announcing ahead of them who was arriving.

"Gate guard Monuroe and a messenger!" called the male that stood to their right.

"Gate guard Monuroe and messenger!" echoed another voice ahead of them in the next room.

The guard quickened his pace, dragging the boy alongside of him. "Hurry up. You don't want to be late when they announce it to the king. Hurry now!"

The boy rushed along the guards side feeling exhausted from the whole ordeal of getting there. His tousled hair sticking out from under his hat and his feet sore from his boots. He was awestruck by the palace decorations and carvings though. It was simply breathtaking to look at. They ran from each room, and finally arriving at the banquet room where everyone was, seated at a long and food filled table, the guests and the Lords looked up at their entrance.

"Gate guard Monuroe and messenger!" announced the caller of the room.

The King looked up from the head of the table and stood. "Monuroe, what's this?"

Monuroe bowed before the King and the other royalties. "Sire, a messenger has come bearing bad news that is happening as we speak."

The Lord's stood then looking at the messenger. The southern lord recognized him instantly. "Hart!"

"My Lord!" Hart cried. "There's a war happening!"

The guests, the Lord's and the King looked shocked. "What?!"

The Southern Lord took the paper from the boy and unrolled it to see a finely written message. "It's from Lord Rien!"

The King perked at the name. "The man that would take your place if you were to die?"

"Yes, sir," nodded the Lord and handed him the papers.

The King took the papers and read them. _"I, Lord Rien, have met a dangerous and very deadly enemy that has its eyes on the Minecraftians that live on these lands and others. I and my army are facing this foe as you read this letter. I had no time to get approval from you or the King. I apologize. The enemy has not let up from us in quite some time until just now, allowing us to get to the battlefield without harm._

_We defended the town from a raid and utter destruction. My daughter fended them off in the last moments of the battle, deflecting their nuclear bomb and putting it someplace else. I ask of you today, not because of my title or the rank I'm under, but as a Minecraftian to forgive my lateness in this message. As you are reading this the war is raging and none of your own men could be in assistance in this. This war is on a different scale and the fighting is much worse._

_I and other Lords have kept a great secret from you, King Sarador. We are Skeletal Beings and we fight for Minecraftians to keep them alive in the dark times of the land. We defend the land for you but cannot be seen at times by Minecraftians unless we want you to see us. We are fighting our biggest enemy of our kind, Lord Hatos. He came here from a portal that was created by a portal maker that we have not apprehended yet but are in the process of doing._

_I hope that this letter has not come at a bad time but I'm afraid it has, since it's fallen under you and your wife's marriage day. I'm deeply sorry. Do not worry though, everything will be fine. Hatos has no sights set on harming you or any of the other royalties or nobles. Not until he kills us and takes down Lady Sell, my daughter, will he turn around and destroy you all. We are here defending you, the nobles, and the Minecraftians for another day of life. We will die fighting for what we believe in and preach._

_Sincerely, Lord Rien."_

The Lords and the guests all looked speechless to the King. The gatehouse guard Monuroe was silent at the letter. The King looked down at a picture that was clipped to the letter and saw the Lord with his army and a young girl around the teens. A man with black hair and horns knelt at her feet staring straight at the camera as if he wasn't afraid of anything. The King's hands shook slightly and collapsed into his seat looking pale.

"Honey, are you ok?!" the Queen asked grasping her husband's arm with a delicate hand. "Sarador?!"

The King looked to his wife and nodded. "I'm ok but I don't know how to handle this. He has an army at his fingertips and has gone to fight without a moment's notice. That's never happened before."

The Lords looked to one another in silence. "Sir, should be head out too?"

The King shook his head placing the letter and the picture on the table. "Lord Rien and his army are to have a new ranking from here on. They will become our dogs to deploy when they see fit. We are to back them in any way possible and the Minecraftian's… They are fine as they are."

The Lord's looked at the King as if they had been slapped. "What?! Are we hearing you correctly?! Anoint them as a higher officer?!"

The King looked to them sternly. "I am your King and I have decreed this! They are here by anointed The King's Dogs and will go out when they see fit to destroy the evil that walks the lands! They do a better job than the four of you, assholes!"

The Queen looked at her husband slightly shocked by his outburst. "Sarador…"

"Lady Sell is a model to the army. She has set the bar for standard," spoke one of the guests at the table.

The King and the Lords looked to the guest at the table. "What did you say?"

"I said that Lady Sell, young as she is, is an icon for the army. She is quite strong in both fighting and speaking. She can move people in a way that you'll never see anywhere else."

The King tugged at his beard thinking. "Then it was good to have her as my dog. I need someone like that."

The guest stood then eating the last bite of his cake. "If you think you'll over take her in every way she'll put you in your place, no matter the title of royalty. It doesn't matter to her."

The King and the Queen looked to one another. She was like one of those people that caused riots. "Maybe I need to strip her of her title."

"I wouldn't bother doing such things," said the male fixing his skeleton mask. "She is, by far, the best dog you got in your kennel. All the others are just bastards."

The King watched the young man turn and walk out of the palace. "Sir Urilo, won't you continue to join us or has your appetite been filled?"

The young man wearing the black cloak and skeleton mask stopped. He smiled under the mask. "My appetite has been filled. I'll be back though once this war has died down. I assure you that you'll enjoy seeing and meeting Lord Rien and his group. Especially his daughter and her werewolf guard."

The King looked at the young man's back perplexed as he walked out with an escort. "How do you know of Lady Sell so much, Sir Urilo?"

"I have my ways, King Sarador," the young man replied before he left the room. The young man grinned under his mask as he walked alongside his escort. "That fool. As if we'd give him all the answers that comes from the outside. His mind can't handle our kind of world."

The escort grabbed his hand gently and squeezed it looking up at him with worry. Risir looked down at the young man that came up to his shoulder. He smiled and rested his head on Silent's forehead. Silent smiled back in relief, a motion that told him that all would be fine for all. Risir held up his hand and traced a symbol on his hand as Silent looked to him.

Silent nodded understanding what he was talking about and brought out a feather from his bag by his side. Risir took it and wrote on a piece of paper, making an indention on the paper before passing it to Risir. Silent took it and ran his finger across the indentations and looked to Risir in surprise.

"But why?" he whispered clutching Risir's arm. "Why must nobles know?"

Risir chomped his teeth as they walked, a sign to Silent that nothing needed to be known to anyone but their own. Silent sighed letting go of Risir and walking alongside of him quietly again. Risir side glanced silent, knowing that he hated nobles and any royalty. He couldn't trust them at any cost. He was the first to have the dream about Lady Sell and the Skeletal Beings before Nystherdyn told anything about them.

From then on Silent would lay down under a tree to rest, wanting to see another sight of Lady Sell or any of the Skeletal Beings. All Silent had to do was just go to the surface again and just meet her and the others there. It wasn't a big secret about them anymore. It amused Risir though, watching Silent rest half the day away. Cryhendon was ok with it though.

"When we get back we'll have to tell the others about this." Risir mouth to Silent as they left the palace and the blinding sun took away his sight momentarily, Silent pulling him along.

Silent, being deaf and only seeing in black and white was a good seeing eye dog to Risir. His eyes weren't that adept to sunlight when leaving from places. He preferred night time better. Silent caught onto this one day while doing a task with Risir for Nerakaugh. From then on Silent wanted to work alongside Risir, he preferred him over Hatali. Hatali would scare Silent but Silent would still assist her even if she were slightly crazy. "Hatali will flip."

Risir chuckled as they descended the stairs. He patted Silent's head reassuringly. Knowing Hatali's mentality and quick to judge nature her Being Dyeldorm knew how to keep her under his paws. Risir tugged on Silent's arm, starting to quicken his pace to run. Silent hurried up and ran after Risir down the steps, taking the stairs six at a time.

As they passed through the gate guards and sprinted down the wide open square of the beginning to the palace a hay cart passed behind them. As the hay cart went on the gate guards saw that the two young men had disappeared without a trace. The elder guard tugged at his beard quietly thinking while the others thought that they had been working too long.


	28. Chapter 28 Circle's Sorcery

Ch.28 Circle's Sorcery

The two young boys arrived back at the Aether but then were transported to the foothills of where they all met for the first time. A pool of water near the center of the open space. Nystherdyn, Cryhendon, Nerakaugh, and Dyeldorm appeared one after another around the two boys. Soon the two girls appeared, being taken from their places and they settled next to their Beings at the pool's edge while Silent and Risir stood next to their own Beings.

"The Nobles want to be on equal ground on the information and the type of things that's going on." Risir started.

_"Denied,"_ Nystherdyn growled. _"They deserve no such thing as that. That would place them in too much power."_

"Agreed," chorused the others together.

"What if King Saradon pushes them into a corner?" Risir asked looking into the pool.

"Then we shall scare his ass to death," giggled Hitali.

Risir pulled a face at her but Silent sat there staring into the pool with quiet thoughts. Dyeldorm growled placing a paw in the pool_. "What of this man?"_

Hatos appeared on the surface of the pool as he watched down at the war below. Nystherdyn pawed the edge of the pool with his claws. _"He will be taken care of. I know that for sure."_

Silent placed a finger into the water and the image shimmered to change into Knives who was battling the army of Lord Rien. "What of the devil spawn?"

"I highly doubt Rien or Lones will let him out of their sight," commented Mor'rila who touched the pool and changed it to Hel and Rayr who fought side by side with Skelar on the side. "Yet, if it were up to anyone to fight him, it would be Skelar and those two."

"Lord Rien and Lones can handle the other things without feeling over worked. The power on their side is equal and greater in some aspects against Hatos's forces." Risir said leaning on Nystherdyn. "This war will be a close one."

The pool shimmered and changed to watch the scenes of the war unfold. They could only watch now, their jobs done and played out. A sudden thought hit Silent and he waved a hand erratically. "I have an idea!"

Nystherdyn and the others looked to him with interest. "What?"

"What of Sell's mother? Hasn't she passed on yet?" whispered Silent looking to Nystherdyn.

Cryhendon and the others looked to one another bewildered. Nystherdyn touched the water letting it ripple and turn to Sell's passed mother. An infant in the arms of new parents that adored her. _"It would do no good to call upon her now once the war is over, Silent. She's too young to understand a single thing right now. Besides, the future for her doesn't involve Sell or anyone right now. She is to grow up and become someone else."_

Silent frowned then, head bowed. He was lost for ideas now. Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena's souls had still not been found. Cryhendon , Dyeldorm, Nerakaugh, Hitali, Mor'rila, and himself have all searched the between and the Nether for them but nothing had turned up. Risir now believes that Hatos has their souls trapped in their bodies for some reason.

In all actuality it could be done so if done right. Silent got up and turned away from the pool. Not being able to stand the scene of war anymore. Risir touched Nystherdyn then. "If Lady Sell found Lady Ananon and her mother, would they be here again?"

Nystherdyn closed his eyes in thought for a moment._ "Hard to say, young one. Depends on their situation."_

Risir was certain that Sell knew where they were. She knew where a lot of people were that cried out for help subconsciously. He closed his eyes sitting straight and concentrated on meditating. _We all believe in the will, the justice, and the pride that lies within Lady Sell. May her everlasting spirit guide her to the path that is destined for her._

Hatos grasped the reigns of his dragon and called fourth the weapon that had been found in the Aether that Queen Lyrena had been protecting. The Blood Sword emitted a glowing red aura about it as if it lived for blood. There was a reason why this sword was protected by Queen Lyrena in the Aether and why she had placed it in the biggest dungeon she had. He spurred the dragon to take off. The dragon arched its neck roaring down upon the fighting below before leaping from the hillside and diving down upon the fighters.

It barrel rolled as it opened its wings and curved back upwards, Hatos slaying the people that he came in contact with before the dragon flew over the warring opposites to do it once again. Every time the blade ripped apart a person it imbued Hatos with magic and retained some energy of life into its blade. The dragon picked up a lord and flung him as it flew low before rising up again with great wing flaps. He wanted to bring Sell out from hiding, lure her to the war zone, anger her, get her riled up. He wanted her at her most pissed time before facing her at his tower.

Knives had transformed and was ripping apart Lord's left and right that attempted to face him. He was on a blood spree below, enjoying every minute of it. It finally cleared around him with Lord's not daring to go near and going in opposite directions to get away. The ones that stood before him were people he had dealt with before; Rayr, Hel, and Skelar. He growled crouching over showing off his sharp teeth.

_"We meet again."_

Hel and Rayr, already transformed growled in return, pinning their ears back. _"This time we're prepared."_

Skelar stood there with dirt smeared on him and blood splatter across his armor. The zombies were quite the messy mobs. "It's going to end here for you, Knives. We mean it."

Knives gave a growling chuckle, his tail whipping behind him. _"I'm going to enjoy seeing you three try. That bitch isn't here like she had been previously in the Aether."_

Hel and Rayr looked to one another wondering what he was talking about. _"You went to the Aether?"_

_"Oh, yes. I and Hatos went to the Aether thanks to the portal maker."_ Knives grinned narrowing his eyes. _"We took Lady Ananon and her mother from there. Lady Sell won't be a Lady much longer after today."_

Skelar looked as if he had been winded and the two werewolves were in shock. Skelar ground his teeth, gripping his sword tighter. "You fucking bastard! How dare you ruin Sell!"

_"It was bound to happen, boy!"_ snapped Knives. _"They were just prolonging her falling out as much as they could! They knew it all along!"_

The three of them couldn't believe what they were hearing. Lady Ananon or her mother wouldn't string Sell on like that. They weren't like that. Skelar flung himself at Knives in a rage. "Bastard! Shut up!"

Knives caught the blade between his hands without any effort. _"There is much deceit everywhere you look, boy. You just haven't learned to see that yet."_

Skelar narrowed his eyes at Knives. He did know about deceit and he had seen it before, many times. He couldn't trust anyone and hated everything. He knew how it felt and what he had become from being like that. "And you don't know how to forgive those that deceive others!"

Knives shoved the blade away with his palms before stepping back. "They don't deserve to be forgiven."

Hel growled then entering the argument. _"It doesn't matter if you forgive those or not, what you've done is inexcusable! You killed Ayame!"_

Knives grinned remembering his mother. _"She deceived us. Father and I. She ran off and met that bastard Rien and made Sell! If she had stayed with us then this war wouldn't be happening! Lady Ananon would still be alive!_

_"They made their choices and I've made mine!"_

Hel, Rayr, and Skelar cried out attacking Knives together out of anger. The three of them getting themselves tied up against only one opponent left two groups in danger of being destroyed by the enemy. It was then that air balloons appeared from the sky like angels descending upon the battle field of Hell and lending their help to their friends below. At the helm was the captain, Jatios, who stood straight and tall barking orders to the men as they descended upon the mayhem.

Rien and Lones took up the rest of the army with the excitement of battle willing them on as they killed and slayed things left and right. Their Lord's battling at their sides and around them as hard as they could. Toc and Des were busy carrying wounded Lord's to Los who worked a mile from the fighting. Her stall up and going, brewing potions as much as the brewing stands could produce. Behind her were ten rows of Lord's that were recovering from the battle and growing.

None had died as of yet and Los was sure that would happen sometime today. Des and Toc took a small breather to the side leaning on the stall to rest. Los turning circles taking bottles from the brewing stands or adding things to some. "You think I'd get too dizzy to do this."

"People learn tolerance after a while," panted Toc. "I thought this war wasn't going to last for long?"

"This is our first war, brother," Des replied tiredly. "I don't think we knew on the full extent."

"You're right on that," Los said placing bottles in a chest. "This is my first as well and I never knew what a war was in the first place but now I do. I don't like it."

"No one does," muttered Toc looking out at the battle. "I'm just glad that none of the dragons are coming back here."

"That would be the end of us for sure," Des said dreading the thought. "I wonder how dad is doing?"

"Just fine, now go fetch the fallen," Los instructed.

"Aye," the brothers replied jogging away from the stall to head back on the battlefield.

Los looked after them taking a small breather herself. She had never made so many potions back to back in such quick progression before. It was certainly a task in its self. She sighed looking out in the direction that the village was located and wondered just how Sen was doing. Los smiled to herself about Lord Rien, for being quite cunning in a small way.

She had much to thank Rien for. He figured out just how to truly divide up a person to be at their most helpful. "I don't care what others say about you, Lord Rien. You are quite the brilliant man."

Back in the village Toc slept soundly as Des had already slept a few hours. He was up tending to the farm and keeping a lookout for whatever that Los had warned him about. He felt like it was fairly peaceful but his nerves were upped a great deal. The neighbor next door, a nice middle aged woman, was tending to Sen for Des as he went about doing the daily chores. He stacked the extra hay for the other animals in the barn and sighed wiping his head of sweat.

"I never would have thought dad would outsmart us like he did. I suppose there was greater reason to do so, with the enemy still trying their attempts to get Sen." Des talked to himself as the old mare in the barn snorted in reply. "Why do they want Sen so bad though? Dad wouldn't tell me in any shape or form. Sen's just a baby. Unless they plan to raise her in a different manner?"

The old mare nickered in her stall as she munched on her hay that he had given her. Des petted her neck before going back out to tend to the cows. How he wished for a werewolf to help him haul the hay bales out into the fields about now.

Nystherdyn sat staring down into the pool below him that shone a blue hue upon his face. "I must say, Rien is quite advanced among the commoners."

"I've noticed this," voiced Risir. "He and Lones are two among very few that do scientific studies more advanced to others. I don't believe Rien has truly given up on Sell's disadvantage. We'll have to see though, hm?"

The great tiger chuckled in his chest at his chosen. "Yes. We will have to see. These Skeletal beings are far more interesting than corrupt monks and the like."

"You did well, Nystherdyn, giving those air balloons an air draft," Risir said with a smile to the tiger next to him.

The tiger looked to him and back to the pool. "Let our game of chess be played out fully now. I highly doubt that the enemy truly knows how to play properly, sending out his knight and bishop. Even the king is in play, heaven forbid."

Risir smiled tossing up a few nuggets of gold. "We have yet to play our Queen. Our King, knight, bishop, and rook are all in play. We have the advantage though thus far, right?"

"Too early to fully say," growled the tiger to the young man. "I doubt that Cryhendon will want a farce, now would he?"

The nightmare across from him snorted shaking his head to the side. "If you want to dirty this game, Nys, then do so."

Nystherdyn and Cryhendon exchanged glances before looking down at the pool again. Cryhendon snorted in annoyance. "Ok, then. Very well. It shall be done."

"Done what?" Risir and the other chosen asked looking about in confusion.

The Great Beings didn't reply, only concentrated upon the battle in the pool. Cryhendon's eyes glowed brightly as he began to interfere with the future of the battle ahead. Nystherdyn pulled his lips back into a tigerish grin. "All will be fine. Don't worry about it."


	29. Chapter 29 Fire and Light

Ch.29 Fire and Light

Back in the village, as Des worked and wasn't paying attention a young woman stepped into the doorway of the barn wearing a pastel dress of blue and white. "Des? I could've sworn I saw you leave the town today with some other people?"

Des looked up to see Phina, his longtime crush since growing up. "What are you doing all the way up here? I thought your family was recovering?

"They still are." Phina tugged on her braided hair that was over her shoulder. "I've got nothing else to do at the moment so I thought I'd come see you. Didn't you leave though?"

Des nodded. "We went to war. Our clones did."

Phina looked at him confused. "Clones?"

Des explained how his father had created clones out of their DNA secretly. Phina stared at him in shock. "Your father broke the law! Des! He knows it's against the rules to do such a thing!"

"We don't have a choice at this point, Phina!" Des pleaded taking her hands. "Who was to watch over Sen? There are people coming for her again and no one is here to protect her! We had to do it!"

Phina looked down at his hands, shaking slightly. "You're scared? Is it really that bad? All of this?"

Des nodded. "When the people come for Sen, I'm to take a horse and ride away from here to a far land. There I'll find help. It's what Los told me."

"I'll go with you to look over Sen then." Phina said with a smile.

"What?!" Des exclaimed in shock before shaking his head no. "Absolutely not! Phina, it's too dangerous for you to go with us!"

"You need all the help you can get, Des!" Phina snapped back. "You said so yourself! You and your brother can only do so much and I'm fed up with being here. I want adventure. Please?"

Des swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared at her. He sighed turning away. "How well are you at defending yourself?"

"I can beat my brother and sister easily," Phina replied.

"Meaning you've never faced a single enemy in your life. Great," muttered Des as he walked away from her into the sun light. "I told you that it's dangerous. I'll let you go only because me and my brother need to protect Sen. If one of us is carrying en then only one of us can be the fighter."

"It'll be better this way," Phina replied beaming. "I'll be inside helping your neighbor."

"If you hear me call for you, then move quickly." Des ordered as he watched her leave towards the house.

It was dusk when figures on horseback stood on a rolling hill just East of the town.

"Aeno, when are we to move in for the taking?" a male asked shifting in his saddle.

Aeno sat slumped in his saddle staring down at the town with a smoldering gaze. "We move now. Head out like I told you."

The group spurred their horses into a gallop and charged across the land towards the town. Aeno took the opportunity to make his way to the back of the town, where the farms were that made up the village. There, along a long stretch of unguarded wall he dug a hole under the wall and popped out on the other side undetected. A cow chewing grass looked down at him and mooed. Another cow pulled on Aeno's hair making him smack the cow on its muzzle and letting him go.

He scrambled to his feet before slinking out across the pasture in the direction of Lord Rien's farm house. Jumping the fence he stood at the front door and knocked twice. Toc opened the door to have a sword at his throat in an instant. He held up his hands and backed from the door slowly. "I'm unarmed."

"How fortunate I am then," chuckled Aeno pushing Toc further through the house. Des leapt down the steps three at a time to wind up seeing Aeno holding a sword to his brother's throat. "Stop! What do you want?!"

"I've come for the baby. Where is she?" Aeno asked looking towards Des and back to Toc. "One of you will give her to me now and no one will die."

Des and Toc were pushed up the steps by Aeno with his sword. Des looked over his shoulder to watch for each step. "Phina, bring out Sen."

Phina stepped out in the hallway with Sen wrapped in a blanket. She gasped as she saw them being pushed up the steps by a man with a sword. Des stepped up taking Sen from her. "Don't argue. We can't argue when we're unarmed like this."

"Smart man," Aeno snickered as Des gave Sen to him. "You were taught well."

Toc looked to Des in anger. "Brother! What in hell are you doing?! We can take him!"

"It's foolish to give our lives with no sword to fight with!" Des snapped. "Besides, we'll chase them down once they leave."

Aeno looked down at the baby as it slept snuggled in the blanket. "You can do as you wish but I doubt you'll get her back from us."

Toc scowled at him. "You don't know what you've just done!"

Aeno took his leave of the house quickly. Des and Toc chased after him to watch him trek across the fields and go out the way he came. Des turned to Phina then and nodded. "Get ready."

Toc took off alongside her as Des sprinted down the gravel path to the village stables and gathered three horses and led them to the house where they mounted up. Phina holding a blanket that held something within. She looked in on a baby as the brothers led her towards the south gate and took their leave heading towards the desert at break neck speed. Des and Toc looked behind them as the village and town were getting smaller. Fire and flames began spreading from house to house by the group that had come to get Sen.

Sadly, they had remained one step ahead of the group. Des chuckled to himself as he looked over to Phina who carried the real Sen. He looked to the sky above saying thanks as the three thundered off across the hillside getting farther away.

"Bastards don't know what they're messing with," laughed Toc as they vanished beyond the hills that rolled across the land.

A huge explosion shook the ground beneath the horse causing them to stumble and falter before carrying on their galloping. Des and Toc looked back towards the rolling hills that were now blocking their view of the town and village to watch black smoke curling into the sky and flames illuminating the darkening sky behind them. Phina choked back a cry as she hunched over Sen cradling her with one arm with the other gripping the horse's reigns. Toc and Des felt a stab of guilt as they thundered away from their destroyed home, the price for double crossing the enemy.

"We had no choice," whimpered Des to his brother. "It was the sacrifice that had to be made."

"With innocents?" choked his brother as he fought tears back. "Is this truly what took just to save ourselves? They-"

"I know!" Des snapped angrily as his eyes stung from the tears. "In war you have little option! You know this! You knew…"

The three riders rode towards their direction in misery and tears as the ones they loved met an untimely and tragic end. Phina cried silently as they charged away with Sen bundled up and hidden from sight.

Aeno stood in front of the blazing town and village, watching it's obliterated remains burning to the ground. The group that had come with him all walking up on horseback with fidgeting horses that were weary of the leaping flames.

"The child could've been in there." Said a follower as he watched the burning town and village.

"She's not," Aeno growled with his back turned. "Find her. They've taken the real child some place and I want _her_! Not some clone that can't give us the power that we want! I want the _actual _Sen!"

The followers turned their horses about, spreading out across the land, leaving Aeno alone to gaze out at the burning wreckage.

He clenched his fists and scowled into the leaping flames. "That bastard, Lord Rien! He hasn't bested me just yet!"

A chill went across Lord Rien as he shielded off an attack from zombies to only find himself facing ogres that were crushing the ground about him, causing panic to rise up from the stumbling Lords. The opposing enemy took the chance and jumped at the falling Lords. Lord Rien backed them up as best as he could, slicing through zombies, and blocking the shooting arrows from skeletons but there was no end to it all. Lord Lones stood next to him panting.

"We aren't having much luck pushing them back. We need to retreat!"

"No!" Lord Rien barked clashing with one of the Lord's that had turned against them. "I'm not going to flee when we're in the middle of a battle!"

"All of our men are out here fighting and they're all getting tired!" argued Lones as he countered another turned Lord and pushed him back. "Rien!"

A fire ogre crushed the ground about them five blocks deep causing both Lord's to fall to the ground with fire leaping around them. Wolves and werewolves all leapt into the hole for them with their jaws open and teeth glistening under the fading light. Rien and Lones wielded their scythes against the wolves and werewolves trying to keep them at bay.

"I'll be damned if this is how we're taken from this battle!" cursed Lones as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Rien.

"Just like walking in our father's footsteps," Rien grumbled as he pushed against a were as it snapped its teeth at him. "Don't you agree?"

Lones chuckled as she pushed away a wolf and sliced it in two to only have a were clash with him. The wolves and werewolves paced around the hole that they were in. On top of that more mobs were fighting around them above with the other Lord's. Rien could hear the fight between Hel, Rayr, Skelar and Knives still going on.

"Just listen to them out there. Fighting for our sake. Fighting for others alongside them." Rien said as he held his ground against the werewolf.

_"All of this talking isn't going to fix your predicament,"_ growled a werewolf that pushed all of his weight against Rien. _"You had best pay attention, Skeletal Being!"_

Rien shoved against the werewolf with all of his weight, sending him from the hole. Rien panted as he sliced into the werewolf that had been holding up Lones. "You had best look out for your own skins, bastards. We don't die easily!"

Explosions from the sky pirates caused the enemy to fall around the two Lord's that had been trapped in the hole from the fire ogre. Lones and Rien scrambled from the hole at the chance and looked about at the devastating warring land. Ghasts and zombie pigmen were coming from the portals as were fire slime, wraiths, and blazes. The two Lords began to feel a bit defeated seeing all of the mobs that they still had to cut down.

"Sell needs to get here," Lones and Rien said together. "Like right now."

A dragon rider laughed behind them as they spun around to face him. "That bitch in't going to show! She's left ya'll to die here!"

Rien and Lones suddenly found themselves surrounded by the enemy once more, all Lord's that had turned to the evil side stood around them with dragon riders diving in for the kill, unleashing explosives down upon them. Lones and Rien had no chance of getting out of this tight spot and said a prayer to save their souls. A figure on the back of a racing nightmare charged across the battle scared land. My scythe appearing in my hand as my other gripped the fiery mane of the horse. My eyes glowed brightly as I transformed, my color split cloak waving madly behind me.

_"Let all see the truth behind the lies! May my punishment upon your souls rise before all, shining light upon our desperate and dark times! May you all rest in peace and never return!"_

All of the mobs turned towards the bright light that was starting to come closer, growing in size before it was unleashed upon them. _"Heavenly Divination: Celestial Soul Take!"_

The mobs that were overtaken by the great ball of energy and light were immediately destroyed as if were the great sun itself. The great ball of light and energy traveled across the land, growing stronger as it took more and more mobs within it. A glorified ringing sound filled the air as the lands were purified from its evil before the great ball of light and energy finally disappeared, leaving behind a path that it had taken. All Lords looked towards the figure that had arrived on horseback wielding a scythe that was held loosely at the side of the nightmare. Knives, kneeling on the ground after taking a full hit from the great ball of light and energy that had come out of nowhere, looking up at the face of Lady Sell in her skeletal form.

The nightmare leapt across the pits and holes that had been made from the ogres before standing over Knives. Knives stared into the brightly burning sockets of the Skeletal Being that they called Lady Sell. "This must be my final redemption. To meet you for a third time."

_"May our Lord have mercy upon your soul as I strike you down for the final time but may he also bring you hell for the pain and sorrow that you have caused those that died in vain. May he punish you for a hundred years for killing Lady Ananon and her mother Queen Lyrena. Finally, may you be ripped to shreds every day as you recall the memory of killing my mother, Ayame. May you recall her screams of pain and agony. Amen."_ I hissed as my scythe began to glow before I brought it across Knives figure from left shoulder to right hip.

Knives stared up at me in a weakened state of pain before the light took his body away and disappeared. The battlefield remained silent as all Lords and my friends all stared up at me in surprise. Hel was the first to move as he rose up before me. _"My Lady."_

_"Hel. You've done well. Everyone's done very well today but it's not over. It's time to take down those portals!"_ I ordered turning my nightmare around to face the top bank above that the portals stood looming over us. _"We must stand together and strip them of their ability!"_

The Lord's all chorused together, reenergized at the site of me and charged up the hillside together to destroy the portals. Hel stood alongside me, a duty emanated from us both. I scanned the land before finding what I had been looking for. _"Hatos!"_

Hatos sat on the back of his dragon. The dragon roared out with a deep throaty roar that shook the hilltop. He raised his weapon towards me, beckoning me to him. "Come, Lady Sell! Let us have our final duel that we promised so long ago! It's past due, don't you agree?"

I felt Entai shift his weight and nicker as he grew impatient. Lord Dra'tor stood beside Lord Rien as his nightmare stood a few steps behind them. Lord Rien looked to him in surprise. "You made it. Hatos has been all around killing men and laying everything to waste. It seems that he's gotten a new weapon of some sort."

_"It's what he invaded the Aether for,"_ I hissed. _"Queen Lyrena and Lady Ananon were protecting it. Just for reasons like this."_

Rien looked up towards Hatos. "He went to the Aether?! Why didn't you tell me this?!"

"He killed Lyrena and Ananon. Knives and I had a confrontation. Then Nystherdyn came with his brothers and faced us together." I spoke as I looked up towards Hatos. "Nystherdyn doesn't care for Hatos's actions. Neither do I."

"Wait, back up. Who are these people?" Rien asked trying to wrap his head around all of the things that had happened.

_"They are Notch. Split into four characteristics,"_ I replied simply. _"They watch over the four places: Aether, Nether, Minecraft, and the Between."_

"The four Gods have finally come?!" exclaimed Los from behind us. "Are you serious?!"

I turned to her then and nodded my skull. _"It's indeed true. I know them personally. How do you know of them?"_

Los stared at me unable to speak. "Minecraft is in danger. I felt it change into something unstable. We need to get back Lady Ananon and Queen Lyrena!"

I looked back towards Hatos who still stared at me. _"That might not be happening. They have both been killed by Hatos and Knives."_

Los looked as if the shock would stop her heart. "Sell…Sell, Minecraft is dying."

_"It'll continue to die until I take out Hato and save your sisters. They are the ones that are tampering with the life."_ I replied as I let Entai walk towards Hatos's direction. _"All of this will end here today. He's not getting away. Even if I have to die to end this then it will be so."_

Hel followed alongside me as I urged Entai faster towards Hatos. "I'll follow you, Hatos! Where are they?!"

Hatos sneered knowing exactly what I meant. "Sleeping six feet under! Just like what you'll be doing here soon!" He cackled urging his horse to take off.

The dragon leapt from the hilltop and soared away. I looked towards Dra'tor before I allowed Entai to go back to the Nether and took to the sky myself. _"Do what I instructed you!"_

Hel grasped my hand as I grabbed hold of him and carried him across the land and ocean, after Hatos. Dra'tor watched us go before turning to the portals. "Anyone up for some Nether diving?"

Rien turned to him and blinked. "I'm not sure if it calls for such cuteness at the moment."

"True. My apologies," Dra'tor replied bowing his head before taking out his sword. "Destroy those portals! We can't allow the Nether to come into Minecraft any longer!"

The Lords all worked together to end the portals swirling vortex. They battled the pigmen and Blaze that attempted to come through but kept the enemy at bay long enough to close the portals one by one. Dra'tor watched as the many portals were beginning to get shut down at last. The sky pirates floated about above watching the portals get taken down. The captain grounded his balloon and walked towards Lord Dra'tor. "We meet again."

Dra'tor turned to him with a smile and holding out his hand. "Good to see you again, Jatios. How goes your fleet?"

"Very well as you can see," Jatios replied shaking Dra'tor's hand. "Was that Sell who just left carrying a werewolf?"

"Yes. She's got some unfinished business with Lord Hatos." Dra'tor said looking over to Lord Rien. "This is her father, Lord Rien. Lord Rien, this is Jatios from the desert sands from our adventure."

Lord Rien grasped Jatios's hand. "Thank you for coming, I appreciate the help that you've given us in the war. You have a wonderful fleet at your hands."

"It was a great pleasure!" Jatios replied beaming. "They love to fight, no matter where it is or who it's against. I can barely keep them in the village to do chores."

Lord Lones turned as he felt a presence approaching them from behind to see Lord Nain galloping towards them on a white stallion looking burnt and beat up. "What the hell…?"

The others turned to see the same thing. Lord Rien rushed towards the horse to halt it. "What happened?! Lord Nain, are you alright?!"

Lord Nain fell from the saddle only to be caught by Lord Rien. "They came. They came and destroyed. Nothing's left."

The others knelt around the Lord trying to figure out what he was saying. Los however knew exactly what he spoke of. She stood there in a slight daze. "What of Sen?"

Lord Lones, Rien, Jatios all looked up at her. "Sen? They came for Sen?"

"The village and town are completely gone," wheezed the Lord. "Nothing's left. Just gone!"

"What the hell is going on here?!" Lord Lones snapped towards Los. "The fuck is he talking about?! Who came to our village and town?!"

"I saw a vision before the war. Some men arrived at the town gates causing a commotion. A raid or something. Another snuck in to take Sen and succeeded in doing so. Before we left I told Des to take Sen to a safe place. I told him what to look for and where to go. I just hope they got away." Los replied bowing her head.

Lord Rien looked to Lones with concern. "We need to know more."

Lones spun around to two Lord's that were on horseback watching the others. "Lord Torad, Lord Aleer! Go back to the town and see what's happened. We've received grim news from Lord Nain. Hurry and check!"

The two lord's spun their mounts around and raced off back towards town as ordered. Lones kneeled at Lord Nain's feet. "What if your sons got away before the town was destroyed?"

"Then it'd be good since I made a clone for Sen when that time came," Rien replied with a smirk.

Los and Lones looked at him in surprise. "They told you?!"

"Des came to me while I was cloning them to bring here and asked to make a clone for Sen. He then proceeded to tell me what you warned him about. I had a hunch that the enemy would go overboard." Rien replied looking down at Lord Nain. "The King won't be too happy with my sacrifice though."

"It couldn't be helped. We'll return and give a memorial for the town and villagers," Lones said looking out towards the Lord's that were working to put out the last couple of portals. "It's the least we can do for them."

"How will we tell Sell this news?" Los asked looking about.

Lord Jatios folded his arms. "She'll hear about it once this war is over. Dra'tor will tell her."

Dra'tor looked at him sheepishly. "Seriously? I have to tell her everything bad?"

"You've been with her for a while now with training." Lones replied pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah but she still bites my head off at times too," he whined. "Fine, I'll tell her. Hopefully she won't be dead though."

Jatios, Rien, and Lones all smacked him one after the other making him flinch from each strike. "How dare you! Dra'tor!"

Dra'tor pulled himself up onto his nightmare. "Look, Hatos has a base out some place. It's where he's taking Sell. There are some loose ends that need to be tied up but the trail has run cold. We've got our work cut out for us after this war is over. I'll tell you that for sure."

Rien and Lones sighed looking to Nain who had passed out. "I feel like we need to speak to this Nystherdyn person."

Rien placed Nain on the ground to rest while he himself sat down. "I'll be back in a little bit. Protect me."

Lones and Jatios looked to him wondering what he was going to do when Lones understood. "Meditating?! Here?!"

"Watch me," Rien ordered as he closed his eyes and laid down.

Los stood there watching them discuss things amongst themselves as Toc and Des ran about administering potions to the wounded men. Cheers of the happy Lord's could be heard from the hillside as the portals were all destroyed and stopped. The war was over at last and the enemy had been defeated. For some though their battle had just begun.


End file.
